KennieJD Has NEVER Felt Like This After Watching Mother! | In Defense Of. Ep 21

Aronofsky’s mother! was one of the most divisive films of 2017. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem, this one is sure to be a wild ride! Will Kennie raise her gavel in defeat or will she rule mother! guilty? Watch the full episode NOW to hear the Honorable Judge KennieJD lay down the law!
This is In Defense Of! Step into the courtroom of the Honorable Judge KennieJD, where she presents the cases of poorly-rated flicks and box-office bombs to determine whether or not they are truly guilty of the sentencing they received! Episodes release Thursdays at 2PM EST.
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[@MoreButter]

Are you surprised that Michelle Pfeiffer didn’t understand the script the first time she read it? We aren't 😂😂 Follow us on Instagram @MoreButterTV to see more of Kennie, Amanda, and GG!

[@aislynnmari]

Have you watched Vicky Cristina Barcelona? Javier is the main guy in that movie too

[@zabethjetton6342]

@@aislynnmarihuhjj

[@alexagnew8249]

I watched Mother two weeks after my daughter was born. I had no idea what it was about, but by the end I wouldn’t let anyone else in the room hold my daughter 😅

[@vida.r]

😂

[@mikaylamcfadden7866]

Bruh I would have gotten post partum right there (just kidding)

[@blesschase8077]

Yeah I watched birdbox when I was pregnant so I understand how a movie can cause that mom anxiety 😅

[@shaycat13]

This the movie with the babe scene right? Weird Adam and Eve symbolism? I've never watched it, but that scene I've heard so many people talk about it

[@edisonlima4647]

​@@shaycat13Not Adam and Eve, the whole Bible

[@risa408]

Jennifer Lawrence said the filming process was so intense that she had to take anxiety medication inbetween scenes to calm her nerves. She's glad it's over with, and she'll never do a movie like this again lol

[@xbleaksquidx]

I have so much appreciation for someone who can say "Yes this movie is amazing but that doesn't mean you should see it"

[@spottedjellyfish5490]

The lesson, warning an audience does not diminish their experience of your work. The lack of an honest trailer actually caused the visuals to overshadow the things people could've enjoyed had they been prepared. Mother may not have been made around shock factor, but the creators belief that his vision wouldn't come across without a completely blindsided audience makes the film seem like an art house shock fest in its aftermath.

[@Setsunako6587]

I agree completely. Alluding to the gore and craziness (without context) would've attracted the kinds of people who don't mind that sort of thing AND primed audiences for the slow burn of tension leading up to it. If the idea of random a-holes bringing their family drama into your home and NOT LEAVING* isn't horrifying to you, the last 30 minutes must feel more like a car crash than the carefully-crafted rollercoaster it was meant to be. *Edit: and the feeling of isolation and loneliness and being ignored by your partner and only getting attention for getting pregnant and nobody's listening to you in your own house and... how did people miss the building of the tension, again 🤨??? I saw this movie ONE time YEARS ago and I still feel for mother! 🥺

[@thecavalieryouth]

@@Setsunako6587 wholeheartedly agree. I remember for a while during the movie being very frustrated with Her for constantly allowing people into Her house who were clearly assholes, always cleaning up after them, not getting angry enough or putting Her foot down that everybody needs to fucking *go away*! Only to realise, she's sharing this house with a man who won't stand up for her. A man who won't listen when she tries talking to him, a man who never seems to consider her in his pursuits for glory or whatever the fuck.

[@Setsunako6587]

@@thecavalieryouth We weren't ready for the toxic femininity + toxic masculinity discussion 🤷🏾‍♀️ I guess that gender dynamic is so common, it's easy to miss. I'd like to read the fanfiction where she speaks up more and he listens more, but it'll be a while before I can see mother! again.

[@aislynnmari]

I felt more anger when they broke her sink than when they "took communion" at the end. Because when the sink breaks you still think you're in a (kind of) regular movie, but by the end you realize that you're watching a biblical allegory painted with chaos

[@harlowe8691]

I love that this movie is willing to be so bold, but also think people need to be able to know exactly what they’re getting into, not get tricked into something so unsettling. but with the realities of how christianity functions in this country and how it is used to enact, enable and perpetuate violence, I find this film to be so cathartic. Not because I like what I’m seeing, I’m never watching it again, but because it feels like the movie sees all the damage Christian fundamentalism and fanaticism can do and has done to people and is angry with us.

[@aimlessf]

I watched this when I was 15 with my mom and her fanatical boyfriend. He'd be the type to ramble and yell about religion and about me not being a believer, but this movie managed two things: 1)To give away the brutality I felt about religion and 2) To finally shut him up. The three of us remained quiet for a whole 30 minutes after it ended and I finally managed to tell my mother like this that this is how I felt. I can't tell if I liked it or not but boy oh boy I felt a lot and it helped in that gritty way horror does sometimes. And I think it was good.

[@Setsunako6587]

I *love* this story, thank you for sharing 🥰 I always thought people hated it bc they couldn't relate to the main character. After what you and Kennie said, I think (sometimes subconsciously) folks didn't appreciate an HONEST look at patriarchal religions and how their version of "Him" is actually an egomaniachal a-hole who's fine with torturing people, (edit: and people torturing each other), and letting us destroy the planet bc he can always make more 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@blueismylove3128]

I also saw this movie around 15 with my mom and boyfriend. He is a rambly religious type tho. I think it's so weird that someone else had such a similar experience, lol.

[@emmettvictor]

I saw mother in theatres with literally no idea what it was about, and I was so deeply uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to do with myself when it was over

[@emmettvictor]

@@salprovolone7709 I feel like “disturbed” is the perfect word to describe how it made me feel 🥴

[@blueismylove3128]

I was incredibly young when I first went to see this movie with my mom (we love horror movies). The fact that I don't even remember how I felt after seeing it says something to me. This review brought back memories I was okay with not having anymore and I hate life now.

[@thatchick3777]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@emmettvictor]

I’m not religious and watched this with my Sikh friend, so neither of us had any sort of base knowledge about any of this and were just so confused and mortified

[@idonteatspiders2986]

Same, i just thought it was a torture porn written by a divorcee or something

[@FarhanaK]

Honestly as a current teacher and a english lit degree holder, the whole allegory of this movie was blatantly obvious....that didn't mean I enjoyed the ride. Mother has had its defenders, when people say you can't enjoy it without understanding it...that's a lie. I understood it but that didn't mean I enjoyed it. But I enjoyed this review. It's not bad objectively but it wasn't an enjoyable movie experience. Will I ever rewatch it? Hell no! Excellent review Kennie.

[@gabiluch87]

That was my problem with the movie, the allegory is way too obvious

[@FarhanaK]

@@gabiluch87 Exactly! I was shocked that people were confused. I thought it was obvious 😂

[@gabiluch87]

@@FarhanaK well, not everyone is well versed in Christian allegories

[@FarhanaK]

@@gabiluch87 True. Without that knowledge they would have been even more whiplashed.

[@blueismylove3128]

That's the thing. I think the movie was good, incredible even.....I still hate it. Scarred for life.

[@guntherstewart8941]

I liked mother quite a bit. Definitely anxiety inducing, but I enjoy when horror films make me feel something. Maybe I'm too desensitized to most horror movies

[@tayinabyss]

Big agree tbh

[@BlackLasher]

'mother!' was upsetting, disturbing, and hard to watch. The visceral eating of the messiah was so distressing, I cried while shaking my head violently. And it was damned effective. The film did its job. It made its point. Having said that, I own the film and have never made it through a second viewing.

[@nadyavishnyakova8297]

this movie is anxiety inducing. I felt so many emotions while watching the movie with my mom: confusion, irritation, anxiety, rage, sorrow, etc. I was one of those who picked up the meaning very quickly even tho I don’t know shit about christianity just some basic stuff. however the movie is quite chaotic and you have to really pay attention from the beginning to the end. ps. Jennifer’s character getting so brutally beaten up was *unnecessary* imo. I mean maybe because of the purpose of the movie I can let the director get away with it, maybe she really had to go through the most horrendous things for her to snap but I’m not gonna lie… I teared up and then had a full-on panic attack when I saw that scene because you’re just literally FORCED to watch this brutal assault happening in front of you and the worst part of this is that it is our reality, women are constantly getting beaten up, harassed, r*ped and murdered.. that was too much for me.

[@ErrorNotImportant]

I feel like it was very unnecessary, and I don't know if that was just for shock value or someone wanted to get away with that brutality but I think it made sense to me because it is real, and it's so easy for people to say they don't want to see something like that because its horrible, but that stuff actually happens and its easily ignored.

[@nadyavishnyakova8297]

@@ErrorNotImportant I don’t know… after the assault nobody gets reprimanded for that really & her blowing up the house wasn’t satisfying enough to me. and after “we have to forgive them” I just lost it. it just felt like “yeah let’s make this scene to just be there”. and I highly doubt the scene made people (men) think deeply about the very real issue of violence toward women. just felt like an excuse to have a woman get brutally assaulted on screen. but that’s just how I feel & I respect your opinion

[@alondramarquez9226]

​@@nadyavishnyakova8297 this is so ironic. the comment under this one is a man saying he liked the movie and that maybe he's just too desensitized. the first thing I thought when I saw their name was "well ofc you're a man"

[@sazimarroquin]

I agree it's a brutal scene, espcially in a reality where women everywhere suffer assaults, but I understood it as an allegory and denounciation of how we (humanity) have been using and abusing the planet (home) and the spirit of nature (mother). In that sense, I think that issue was masterfully represented through an act of violence that is easier to understand for everybody.

[@nadyavishnyakova8297]

@@sazimarroquin sometimes it’s just really hard for me to look past assault scenes and think deeply about it. but yeah, I see your argument & kinda agree with you.

[@ladylordeve]

15:21 always makes me remember of that interview with Toni Collette where they asked if she went deep into method acting for hereditary and she just responded with basically "no, it's just another gig"

[@hana3703]

“mother!” is kinda accurate but they did everything LITERALLY and I love it! I grew up in a religious family and obviously I didn’t become one. When I was a kid, I thought that eating the “body of christ” AKA communion will get you nailed in the cross (this sound so wrong LMAO) like how Jesus did and I cried back then because both of my parents ate it and I thought they’re gonna die. I couldn’t remember how I put those two together but yeah I love this film. I think I would be able to watch it again because the brutality and gore is not new to me (I’ve literally watched Friday the 13th and final destination when I was 9 and it’s not a flex, my brothers tried to stop me but I’m rebellious). I will watch it only if someone plays it tho, I’m not gonna watch it when I get bored. Also in defense of THE JENNIFER LAWRENCE, I felt the disrespect. I feel like they really hated this film so much so they dragged everyone even Jen and it’s unfair given the fact that she did everything other than bad acting. It’s like they disregarding her talents which is a D! move

[@8bitbarbie163]

just looked at cinema score and they gave cats 2019 a c+... so i think its safe to say that their opinion should be disregarded

[@32fps]

Probably more controversial than your opinion: I think I jumped ON this film the moment most people jump off. Dunno what that says about me, but when the baby scene happened I was like "there's no way..." then it DID go there and I was honestly just impressed. Maybe it's a tiny bit of irritation in myself that children are untouchable in Hollywood--to be clear, I DO NOT *want* to see children harmed, it's more that it feels unrealistic when CHILDREN keep escaping ridiculous situations (see: Jurassic Park). One of the reasons I loved A Quiet Place was because of the opening, and I was like yeah, children are f*cking dumb, that'd totally happen; it grounded the story in reality. So while the baby scene was still a shock for me, I was left more with a... WELL, THEY WENT THERE feeling than anything else. And, for me, the scene that followed the baby scene was more challenging to watch. I think I also just really enjoy movies that go batshit insane at the end, but you can tell there's a purpose behind it, not that they're just doing it for shock value. Like I loved the ending of the new Suspiria (still haven't seen the original so can't compare), and movies like The Witch and The Lighthouse. Give me escalation, give me chaos. I am Here For It.

[@abbygail4621]

Have you seen Everything Everywhere All At Once??????

[@32fps]

@@abbygail4621 Of course I have, what kind of question is that. Joking aside, I'd argue that film is kinda balls to the wall from the beginning. I meant more films that start out at one level then just take off to somewhere I was not expecting. While there were a lot of fun surprises in the movie, it doesn't really do that, at least not in the way I perceive the films. Incredible movie though, probably my favorite from this year.

[@Eli-di1by]

Even if I knew the meanings and representation, the most triggering moment for me was when the people are destroying the sink. That was a perfectly fine sink. That's legit the image I kept all those years of Mother. I wish I had trigger warnings before going to see it when it came out. But I agree if somebody did their job it's Jennifer. Stop blaming her she did everything she could with what she got.

[@thisDreamOfFlesh999]

I thought I was alone

[@patricksmith6334]

I LOVED mother! I showed it to all my friends I watch it often. The deep biblical lore you have to understand to create a such a film is extraordinary. And yes the portrayal of Him/God is so different but I think if people look into it more it answers a lot of the angry questions they have about God in the real world. It's a masterwork and if I didn't believe that Black Swan was a better film I'd say this was Arronofsky's magnum opus!

[@M3Niki]

I watched mother! while I was recovering from surgery. I went in not reading the synopsis (for once lol) and off top I knew it was about The Bible. I was enjoying it until THAT SCENE happened. Maaaaan it 🤬 me up!! Overall I did enjoy it. Jennifer Lawrence did a fantastic job. You could feel her pain and frustration with her spouse. In conclusion I love it. It's not a movie you repeatedly watch, it's a one&done movie.

[@williamelliott186]

I didn't know people hated this movie like this, I just showed my cousin the baby scene a week ago cause I was talking about horror, he had to watch it several times just to fathom what he saw, then said " I'm not watching that " And then persisted to watch more clips. It's bold in all the masterful ways possible, and deserves more attention in the best ways!!!

[@anarenea]

I personally ended up watching Mother on a whim, after work and at night with the lights dimmed. I'd never felt so uncomfortable and perturbed....which got much worse after watching the baby scene. Had to take frequent breaks, and when I tell you I didn't sleep through the night...my eyes were PEELED. That being said, I somehow liked it. Would not watch it again tho 🌚

[@Valikazoo]

i took this viewing and my interpretation of it in a different direction? like I clearly picked up on the biblical symbolism, but honestly the 'vibe' of the film, and jennifer lawrence's reactions as a character, and the last half hour of chaos weirdly reminded me of BPD/PTSD episodes? ive struggled a lot to really articulate what flashbacks and bpd 'emptiness' feels like internally, and watching this movie really was disturbingly comforting to me because it just gave a visual representation of how i feel during a mental health episode. also the inevitable 'lashing out' and 'anger' that happens after a episode, kinda like what jennifer did at the end where she just sets everything on fire, it paralleled very similarly. the baby scene, as fucked as it was, really feels like when memories and people are just taking parts of you emotionally, and you just have to helplessly 'watch' this disturbance unfold in your mind. obviously this is a very personal take and not at all what the director intended, but thought it would be interesting to put here. also I will probably not watch this movie again, just for the sake of my actual mental health 😂🥲🙃

[@snaxattax1772]

Love this movie, literally changed my life. Not only did it hold a mirror up to the relationship I was in at the time, but also forced me to think of the environment as a living breathing entity that should be respected, loved, and cared for.

[@saraeason1647]

It definitely reminded me of a past relationship and the movie is how i felt constantly. Nothing predictable, in distress, constant anxiety

[@herefortheshrimp1469]

I’m honestly thankful you gave that spoiler because I’d actually love to see this movie now haha. But I know that really would’ve screwed me up and coloured my impression of the whole movie if I didn’t have context or know why it was there! I am so intrigued with the idea of how the Earth would feel about humans well…torturing and killing it while it’s creator just lets it happen. That’s really cool to me.

[@julieneff9408]

25 years ago I had postpartum depression that turned into psychosis. This gonna hit RUL different for me.

[@celinahatton2653]

So sorry for what you went through

[@lilianaghinuelao7864]

Hope everything is going good for you now

[@lilianaghinuelao7864]

I watched the movie when I was recovering from some very similar feelings it's a hard hard watch I enjoyed it but idk if alot of other people would

[@purplebroccoli5425]

I simply can’t believe that this movie actually got soo many razzie nominations. I thought the movie was FANTASTIC. It left me speechless and I thought about the movie for a week and read dozens of articles for the biblical references and easter eggs. And Jennifer Lawrence’s acting was simply AMAZING. It makes me fucking mad that she got a razzie nomination for that. She deserved an oscar in my opinion. And I get that many people thought the brutality was unnecessary but I think that made it more disturbing and shocking. And isn’t that the point of a movie like this? It shouldn’t make you feel cozy and happy, its purpose is to make you feel uncomfortable and shocked and disturbed.

[@hapikohw]

I saw it in theaters with only two other people lower than me and we all hated it. I'm glad Kennie loves it and can't wait to hear her describe it and maybe choose innocent. For me, I was promised disturbing and got bored and flowery biblical art people horror, which wasn't my thing all those years ago.

[@Setsunako6587]

F I N A L L Y 😭! ! ! ! ! ! I've been starved for nuanced discussion of this film for YEARS. Thanks, Kennie 🥲 The vid just started, but my hypothesis is that majority male critics do not understand women's issues and REALLY don't want to try. This shit was like three different Poe stories on steroids, but since it deals with specifically feminine fears, nobody took it seriously 🤦🏾‍♀

[@GothBarbie3000]

AGREED!

[@ashleysartattack5600]

100% agreed!! I loved this movie, and I feel exactly the same as I did about the movie “Men,” that just came out in May of this year. I saw it in the theatre with one of my male friends. And he was like, there was no plot at all! I said, to be fair, I think you didn’t understand this movie because you’re a man… And I don’t think men in general stop to think about how did Mother feel in this movie? How does mother earth feel? How did Mary feel? Etc.

[@Setsunako6587]

@@ashleysartattack5600 R I G H T ? ? ? ! I realized, watching Kennie's religious take on it, that Him could represent the perversion of Divine Masculinity (action) into toxic masculinity (controlling WAY too much) while Mother shows the slippery slope of Divine Femininity (holding space for creation) becoming toxic (ALLOWING way too much). People who don't see toxic masculinity or toxic femininity as problems (or don't see them at all!) IRL are probably going to miss a *lot* in feminist stories like this one, Men, or I May Destroy You 🤷🏾‍♀️ In other news, my name's Ashley, too 🥰 Hey, sis!

[@MiraCassandre]

Yes!! Well said.

[@rdr2219]

Men ain't shit. Yet again. Not surprised, but still disappointed.

[@nicolewimbley8653]

I saw the symbolism but that baby scene took me out of the game! All I could say was “They ate the baby!”

[@mariaskabardonis8353]

I am the same way all I can say is they ate the baby lol

[@3s_muycar0]

Honestly out of that whole film that is the one scene that I still viscerally remember from it. Madness, madness well done🥲

[@thisasiankidistrashfordram374]

It wouldn't be Communion if they didn't lol.

[@dijaemosby9452]

Have you heard about the book/ movie flowers in the attic? It’s a wild story about a mother that keeps her four kids hidden in the attic to hide them from her father. While up there the oldest son and daughter develop some… feelings for each other. Would make a great IDO or BMAB.

[@3s_muycar0]

They made it into a movie right? For some reason I feel that I might’ve come across it when I was younger watching tv😳

[@kalystagutierrez1607]

I saw that one! I thought I just made it up since I always see these kinds of movies late at night so it feels like a fever dream lol

[@undertakenheart]

Mother! really fucked me up in the theaters. Like breathing heavy, crying, and just feeling awful because it was so well done. Mother! and Midsommar are two movies I absolutely love but refuse to see again because of the affect they had on me.

[@__LB_]

Caught it quick! Yay! I’m excited for your take because the blurb you shared previously intrigued me but I’m still unsure if I want to watch. But Kennie! Please, I beg of you. Just watch the trailer for Repo! The genetic opera. It’s camp gold from 2008 with Paris Hilton. They actually sing. And it’s about a future where they can repo your organs because our healthcare is out of control. Pure gold. And it’s stunning in the weirdest way to look at, visually.

[@veronikasaturn]

Yes! Please, Repo! is the best movie.

[@excruciatingsleep]

OH MY GOD YES. It's such an interesting combination of utterly unhinged, high budget, and also bad. I adore it. Like they literally got fucking Anthony Steward Head as a lead, made him sing, got another musician to sing, and then went "you know who else should sing? Paris Hilton". And the themes are so hamfisted. But I cannot do anything but love it.

[@camayrum6040]

Do the lighthouse!!!! You'll be just as emotionally furious

[@n9na_marie]

i had zero idea what the movie was about going in, but I actually really liked the movie. it left me with such a visceral feeling that very few movies have been able to do. I'm not sure if i'd watch it again, it was a really wild rollercoaster of emotions, but I think it was really well done.

[@FlorPutelli]

I went blind to see the movie and I realized at the beginning that it was based in the Bible. I think is a really raw and true representation of what we are doing to Earth and to each other. I felt super angry and disgusted at human nature. I really loved it, but for me is a one time movie watch.

[@jahipalmer8782]

To me, mother! is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I was SHOOK after I watched it. I love it.

[@taniaj9427]

The very first time my friends and I watched this movie we came out completely confused and were pissed about what a terrible movie it was. It was utter chaos and it just didn’t make sense to us whatsoever. However after watching a few explanation videos we watched it again and OMG what a revelation! it’s a masterpiece! The director is a genius and allusions were creativity executed. One of my fave psychological thrillers to this day!!!

[@ambrite]

THANK YOU! This film is incredible. I have repeated nightmares about people being in my home, in my space, and not being able to politely get them out, so having a horror film show that so viscerally was both terrifying and cathartic. I reckon Darren intended it to be straight up biblical (obviously) but I interpreted it as an allegory for how we treat celebrities and the art/entertainment they create. I love seeing different interpretations.

[@MissMidas]

I saw mother and it left me totally confused. It went left so fast for me. So, I asked a movie buff friend to watch it so we can talk about it how we talk about all movies we want to dissect FORGETTING his wife just had a baby two months before… we are no longer movie buff friends 🤦🏾‍♀️ Good movie… great movie actually…. But bad movie. That’s my review.

[@kimberleywilliams7802]

oh no, I'm so sorry about your friendship 🥲😭

[@MissMidas]

@@kimberleywilliams7802 I’ve come to terms with it now but he legit was like why would you suggest that movie to me… I was like oh yeah the baby thing… 😬

[@senpaijecho]

I remember being so confused when I first started watching the movie, but when I noticed the similarities between the movie and the bible I was like *oh*. It made so much sense and, in my opinion, made the movie a lot lot better. And ngl, finding this movie when I was starting to have my own doubts about god and religion itself, helped me to become agnostic bc I could see biblical representation without the sugar coating that religion often gives it.

[@dreamcometrue461]

My biggest issue with Darren Aronofsky as a director is the fact that he OWNS the rights to Perfect Blue and yet, he simply won't admit that Black Swan was influenced by it. I mean HELL he for shot for shot recreated a scene from Perfect Blue (i.e. the bathtub scene). This man makes my blood boil. How dare he buy the rights to an American remake of Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue and abuse it. Satoshi Kon worked up till the day he died on his craft and to have it abused by a supposed fan--shameful. Simply put, I hate Darren Aronofsky and the giant ego he has. All Satoshi Kon was to be given credit and yet when he met Aronofsky face-to-face, Aronofsky couldn't even give him that. Aronofsky wishes he could be Satoshi Kon.

[@exinsomniac6470]

I have some terrible news for you. Darren Aronofsky doesn’t actually own the rights to perfect blue. There were talks of a deal, but It never actually went through. Both Masao Maruyama (former president of Madhouse) and Satoshi Kon have both confirmed this. Unfortunately it’s just one of those internet myths that keeps getting repeated and passed around. Aronofsky just lifted scenes from perfect blue and called it an homage, but nothing else.

[@dreamcometrue461]

@@exinsomniac6470 either way kon only wanted credit and even met aronofsky face to face and yet aronofsky couldnt even give him that I wouldnt exactly call a ripped scene a "homage" Artists deserve credit and Kon lived his whole life without getting it

[@exinsomniac6470]

@@dreamcometrue461 I’m not agreeing with Aronofsky, I’m just saying that he claimed it was homage. And people seem to think “well at least Satoshi Kon was compensated” when in fact he wasn’t. Just trying to correct misinformation.

[@Daphnegirl93]

I do agree it was one of the most effective movies ever re: causing me enormous stress and leaving me empty, hopeless and thoroughly disturbed at the end, but yeah, mostly bc I had no idea what I'd gotten myself into and so went through escalating chaos descending into real psychological horror for the entire runtime of the film. Like I was already anxious at the point the house party got a lil rowdy w people not listening to mother, sitting on a sink, breaking it off & getting water everywhere. Imagine my sheer cold nauseating panic re: everything relating to that newborn and the mob attacking mother. In the end it''s like yeah absolutely this experience shook me to my core but. at what cost.

[@who__cares__]

I love the biblical undertone of the movie It's take on it is refreshing, humanizes everyone and shows the brutality and hopelessness of man

[@favbubblegirl]

Would love to hear Kennie's take on Interview with a Vampire with Tom Cruise. It's a gay mess that Cruise wanted to make less so Edit: Just watched mother btw, and as someone raised Methodist I got the religious references immediately. I can see how it would go over other non religiously raised people's heads. I think it was a great movie, but like Kennie I would never want to watch it again. I was mad as hell when people kept disrespecting her and I jokingly asked myself when she would start offing people... didnt expect she actually would

[@alexis-marie_9920]

yes!

[@tegztegz]

Its so much improved with a gay lens too. Curious how that one would be remade today

[@tljr8927]

@@tegztegz it already has been remade!

[@glimmerhutcherson139]

The trailer of the 2022 remake just got out. Don't know if the series will be as gay as the movie but the main character directly says his maker was also his lover.

[@chiefzombie9184]

With the way you describe this movie and how you like it I have a feeling you'd also enjoy(?) the Gaspar Noe film Climax. It's a ton of chaos on the screen and just unrelenting anxiety. I watched it over a year ago and I still can't forget the feelings I got. Idk if it's as nuanced or allegorical as this movie necessarily, but it would still be interesting to get your thoughts on it I think.

[@Sekstravagant]

Omg yes, I have rarely felt about any movie the way i felt watching Climax. I wanted it to be over the entire time and felt so horribly anxious, yet I absolutely loved it at the same time. The way the movie made me feel just as claustrofobic as the characters must feel in the school. Insane.

[@cherijoseph7819]

No director on the planet is a provocative, creative and stragely humble as Gaspar Noe. Lars Van Trier is a runner up but, he is an asshole.

[@ashleysartattack5600]

I’m scared to watch anymore Gaspar Noe films after Love. I watched Love in 2020; 2 weeks after a bad breakup and it had me spiraling in deep depression. I was bawling!

[@1032974b]

I... Liked the movie, ham fisted allegory and all. I think I went into it with the framework of it being a slow burn horror and got the first sense of dread when *small spoiler* the lady sits on the counter and mother has to tell her it's not braced yet and to get off. And I thought the dread crescendo from there was near perfectly executed.

[@JustAHorrorShow]

As someone with horrible anxiety and intrusive thoughts, this movie really resonates with me. Only seen it once but I still list it as one of my favorites.

[@anetekhaijite1980]

OMG more Kennie content. Thanks!!!!!

[@uhvnicole85]

I remember watching it with no heads-up on what it was about. My reaction was like Kennie's during that "communion" scene.

[@wompwomp9946]

i remember all the reviews right after this one. lots of people were upset because of the content (thought it was just shock value). there were those who said their moms and grandmas liked Jennifer Lawrence and thought it was a romcom or something 'cause the name Mother! lol. but mostly i remember people who grew up religious or familiar with the bible etc. hating the movie because they thought it was too obvious and could predict where everything was going. very mixed

[@Jessica-cu1rh]

I watched this movie after watching you talk about it in another video. Anyway I'm still thinking about it days later. I'm surprised i understood the ending and entire movie when it was over. It's fun to think back and catch those things that you don't understand at first

[@ABCScandalFanatic]

“If you didn’t like this movie, you didn’t understand it.” Wow… you are the judge so I won’t argue but this statement says SO much about you as a person.

[@realtalk13]

I watched this film opening weekend and came out speechless. Few films made me have such a strong visceral reaction. I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. But that is the EXACT goal of the film and its themes. It is intentionally a hectic, disorienting, and uncomfortable ride to put you in the same position as Lawrence's character. The surrealism of it all is there to highlight just how odd Christianity (and since there's a literal interpretation of the eucharist, Catholocism specifically) is. Or if you take the more general "unchecked author" reading, the inherent oddness and wrongness of giving one man unchecked creative freedom to make a world to his specific tastes only. I unironically love this film LMAO. It fulfilled its mission while also being a wild ride.

[@Yukiandyumi23]

I watched this going in blind, never even thought about the reference to religion as I was viewing it and it was crazy! I felt as stressed as she was! Worst thing imaginable people not leaving your house, and then more keep coming. I strangely enjoyed it. Once I googled it and saw the religious reference it all clicked. But it’s an experience when you don’t

[@talya1877]

Aronofsky said y’all destroying Earth and stressing Mother Nature out, I’m gonna make my most disturbing fever dream movie yet.

[@DearxMyxSongs]

mother! suffered from the same problem Jennifer’s Body did, the trailer didn’t do it’s job (mother! with not enough context and not aiming it at a certain audience, Jennifer’s Body with marketing it to the objectively wrong audience). Had I known, day one, the allegories of mother! when it was in theaters, I would’ve gone and dragged several friends with. And on a kinda pretentious side note, a lot of people expect to leave a movie if not happy, satiated in the resolution in some way. Certainly in wide release American movies you rarely see a movie that leaves the audience angry and confused but I don’t think that that experience is a bad thing? Additionally, you don’t see depictions of the God in such an aggressively negative light and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. mother!, to me, is the kind of movie you watch with others and then discuss for hours afterwards diving into it and how you each feel about it. Lawrence still coming off of Hunger Games fame likely didn’t help mother! reach its target audience either.

[@patriece2215]

The movie is also notorious for being hated and getting booed at some screening but it also received a standing ovation in a different screening. I feel like that fact sums up movie, it receives such passionate reviews even if it’s bad.

[@galaxylaurels3539]

I feel like the director read that one story in the Bible about the fig tree not giving fruit and getting super messed up for it and he just never got over it

[@shaylaann97]

I will say, when the baby actually died (like how it died before they ate him) it was one of the only times where I've ever audibly GASPED during watching a movie. It's extremely rare for people to kill small children in movies, it's even rarer they'll kill a baby. So I was shocked they went that far.

[@isaacrios9299]

This movie feels like an outsiders view on Christianity/Catholicism. Not this “god is good” “god is great” stuff that’s constantly being told. And that’s what I love so much about this movie. It’s raw and brutal and unnerving but it’s all done tastefully and not for the sake of being disturbing (a Serbian Film). I feel like in years time this film will be a cult classic. In lieu of The Shining. Hated by critics and audiences but it grows on them through time. I also very much agree that the marketing for this movie was not very well done. I loved the vagueness of it, but the trailer and film were totally separate vibes. On another note, can we all agree that this movie/cinematography is just beautiful!? You can pause the movie at any moment and it will still be worth framing on a wall. Especially the shot of the house with the tall grass and trees swaying in the gentle wind. Absolutely beautiful.

[@Wildjeo]

Watched this movie peeking in at random moments when I was 10 (15 now) and it traumatised me for a good while, the random people stealing stuff, which just made me uncomfortable on it's own. And then the women in cages and the baby eating while it was crying and defenceless I'm literally getting flashbacks now

[@allyssaward5691]

Never heard of this movie before this video came out. Watched it last night and I have to say the movie was dead on when it came to portraying how anxiety feels with everything just falling apart around you despite all your efforts as well as the absolute real horror of people not only invading your space and taking your shit, but just scoffing at you when you tell them to stop. I probably have way too much trauma in my personal life to where I resonated a little too much with the character of mother.

[@MamaMudiwa]

This is one those movies that I'll defend but never ever ever ever ever *inhale* ever ever ever ever watch again.

[@lilianaghinuelao7864]

I'm SO HAPPY you reviewed this movie I love disturbing movies I like to feel unpleasant or complex emotions when I watch stuff but this movie threw me thru a loop I had no idea what was coming n it hit me like a train and I love it i watched it on cable tv in the middle of the night one night and was shocked they even played something like it on tv 😭 in a fucked up way its one of my all time favorites now but I don't know if anything could make me watch it again 😂

[@lilianaghinuelao7864]

I watched it around 6 months after I had my first child n I felt so emotionally attached to Jennifer Lawrence and the baby and it made everything hit me so much harder

[@oobietheboobie]

As someone who gets the references and is vehemently anti organized and capitalized religion, the movie itself is brilliant to me. It really shows who the victims are of cult-like religion, and how the enemy does not even realize or care that he is the enemy. However, yea some content warnings would have been nice. It's like, no matter how aware we are of the real life shit that happens, doesn't mean I want to see it unprepared. I can't watch a movie with a r*pe scene in it unless I know it's coming. Either way, Aronofsky did the damn thing and did it very well. He spoke to my little anti-cult, anti-savior heart lol

[@dustykelsey7756]

Omg, I had NO idea what this movie was before I watched it and was in no way prepared for what I saw. I sat there afterwards trying to process everything for a way longer time than I like to admit.

[@gemstoned66]

I streamed this movie very randomly online in 2017, where I was 16/17 ish and I never heard anyone talk about it and not a single soul i know watched it. I’m so glad to hear you cover this. As you can imagine how disturbed I was after watching this film whole without having one single fucking clue what it could be about before I started, and not having one person to talk to about it lol. I just saw jlaw on the cover and thought ,,hell yeah, this can’t be bad’, I mean it wasn’t…. But it definitely fucking scared me in some way back in the day haha

[@jaymierosen]

I really like this movie too; very under-appreciated!

[@MrConstancejames]

I really liked the movie. Watching this film was cathartic in a way. I felt like I had someone who shared my frustrations with God and his followers. I know I like this film as a direct result of my super religious upbringing. I am now an atheist. As a child, having read the entire Bible, the parts of the Bible that stuck with me most at that young age were the parts during which God got mad. Dude was always getting mad and flooding the Earth, setting parts of the Earth on fire, destroying villages, having people sacrifice their own children, etc. I left the church because God didn't seem like a good dude, and many of his followers seem to be s***** and violent as well. Part of me felt like this movie came from my teenage mind and heart as I left the church. So I like the movie I know it's intense but I think it's supposed to be intense and the people who like it get it and likely have been raised religious and are no longer. While watching I also thought about the disregard the people of the Earth had for the Earth/Earth mother itself and how it's a direct parallel to how we have been treating people who can give birth and their bodies.

[@xmisocutex]

I was pregnant when I watched this and nobody told me beforehand wtf was about to go down 🙃

[@gh0ulgirl]

this movie was so anxiety inducing and hard to watch but i loved it i thought it was great! the viewing experience was so effective. i personally watch a lot of horror so much doesn’t affect me but i really feel like this did and it was done well. also jennifer lawrence gave an amazing performance, it was a highlight for me.

[@talkingisfun]

That ish was crazy! "Give me The Giving Tree but make it throwed the eff off!!!"

[@FulufheloCharms]

The earth thing was definitely a push but it was really magnificent

[@guntherstewart8941]

I totally missed the biblical allegory, I never paid attention in Sunday school

[@Meggly1918]

I stand in the middle haha

[@f.d.5173]

Kennie's slow descent into becoming an art person

[@MissBrittneyofCourse]

I was one of the ones that walked in with zero context. It took me until they ate the baby to realize what the movie was about. Then I was like ohhhhhhh this is clever, and also terrible but also very well done. I liked the movie.

[@Osakayame]

At the theatre, I had my dinner and drink ready, in my reclined seat, but I was completely unprepared for the chaos that ensued. I think, I barely ate my burger...not from disgust (I've seen worse than the baby scene. shout out Takahashi Miike) but from anxiety and anger. I was on edge once people kept coming and not leaving. The film awoke a fear that I didn't even know I had. People in my house not leaving, not only that but also messing everything up. And my spouse just acts like it's all fine and dandy. Like.. are we seeing the same thing?! I didn't realize how tense I was. I couldn't "relax", it was gaslighting in a way. At some point, I couldn't look away without missing a dramatic change that came through like a gust of wind. I was all there for the cinematography. The storytelling, on the other hand, I did go in blind because I know the bare minimum of the book of Genesis. This review helped explain things that I wasn't sure about. I guess I would have expected it to be more obvious or explained in some trailers or something before release that THIS film contains biblical allegories. Because as a natural cynic and non-religious person the movie made perfect sense once I realized the biblical references, lol. But before that, I just was left thinking that this is just the worst husband in this poor wife's feverish nightmare lol.

[@lh9761]

I walked into this movie with no context and the minute eve shows up and wont leave i started getting MAD. the stress!

[@Miku_miku_chan]

I love this film! I saw it in theaters twice when it first came out. I didn't realize people were so polarized about it. 😅

[@tommylakindasorta3068]

I think you nailed the reason for the backlash. It was a good movie but the marketing for it was dishonest. You can tell the studio people were scared no one would see it if they knew it was.

[@keelanmaher3498]

Still don’t know if I wanna watch the film, so glad you did this review though. I assumed this was the allegory from reading the synopsis and I sincerely appreciate movies with religious criticism especially the religion I was raised in. But I’m still terrified to watch it, great review!

[@hibiscuspetals02]

I do stand in the middle with my feelings about Mother. It was definitely An Experience, but it left me more confused than anything tbh

[@ShaXV]

My coworker been trying to get me to watch this and the opening of this video tells me... I've done right by "me" to avoid it. It's looking like imma keep passing on it.

[@KikiDva]

I forgot I watched this, but I picked on the symbolism by the end

[@Josh-ez5hf]

8:28 My God, that low cinnamon score has been known to kill movies

[@GothBarbie3000]

Ah, mother… it triggered ALL of my feelings of powerlessness. Yikes!

[@caitlinwilliams4010]

On the first watch, I was blindsided. I thought it was a horror film, and skipped RIGHT PASSED the allegory! Wild because I’m usually pretty keen on those things, but I digress. After watching a few videos on it I found myself wanting to watch it again. Could do without the baby muckduck, but I get it’s use. I just have never seen it depicted in such a gory way and am a mama so it’s a tough subject. All in all I think it was beautiful and ahead of it’s time.

[@ashantej]

i know why some people are upset w this movie, but this is such a good visualization of the relationship of god and Mother nature and humans :) god will go at any length for humans, but is also egotistical, callous, and ravenous. he will kill his creations to prove a point (like the story of Job), even wreaking havoc on mother nature and allowing for humans to do the same. when mother nature fights back and gives us diseases, forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc, it’s seen as the first blow rather than defense against humans and perhaps god. and then mother nature is only treated worse until the end of the human race. sounds like something we’re approaching 🤷🏽‍♀️ but yuh, i really liked it despite not being religious anymore

[@larrackell]

Man when you first mentioned the Christ thing early on, I was thinking "They did not. No, they did not. Do not tell me they did that." and then you SAID THEY DID THAT.

[@aryelmermaid]

I actually loved this movie. The contrast between the scenes is incredible. Cinematography on its own is very beautiful. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance=immaculate!!! I understood the story after the scene where Adam and Eve broke the Crystal and were put out of the room and Him barricades the room. Which at first I thought: “well that was dramatic.” Dawned on me what I was viewing and I thought it’s depicted and based on where Aronofsky was in his life at the time it makes sense. I didn’t get the Him was being selfish, I think he was being too generous to everyone else but to the Home and Mother, I think he was being neglectful and because of his neglect and lack of teachings when it comes to respecting mother and her home, his guests are prone to ignore her, mistreat and disrespect. I think the movie is perfect and people who don’t like it didn’t understand it’s meaning.

[@oliviarose8916]

Okay eyebrows!!! Get it sis

[@tarajijones335]

I completely agree with you about this movie. As a lapsed Catholic I caught on to the allegory pretty quick but nothing could have prepared me for that last 35 minutes or so. The movie had a very clear message and it was one of frustration and anger and chaos, so in that it was very successful. That said, I could not imagine taking the journey that this movie takes you on in a movie theater with a hundred and fifty other people munching on popcorn and milk duds. It seems too intimate in a way, the journey meant to be personal based on your individual beliefs and relationship with religion. I honestly wonder if the reaction to the movie would have been different with different marketing prompting that understanding and a release to theaters and streaming so people could choose to experience this movie in private where you could stop the movie to process what was happening on the screen.

[@Majasbookbag]

When I finished this movie I just said "That is too far. You don't depict that." I felt sick and horrible. On the other hand I could not stop thinking about the movie for a long while after, and very few movies leaves such a deep impression on me. I didn't like it, I kinda hated it, but I don't think it's bad.

[@GrannyReplica]

Haven't seen this film, but it sounds like a good one.

[@Noxie_Mpulo]

Loved this movie. One of my favorite comfort film.

[@glamdawling]

I just watched Mother! last week. *I loved it!* Why didn't I watch it sooner? Oh yeah, it was other people's misunderstanding of the movie was about and giving it bad reviews. I caught on real early what the movie was about and from that perspective I was able to really enjoy it.

[@sim771]

I havent seen mother! nor am I religious, but watching the trailer when it came out i knew immediately it was about Christianity. I didn't realise it was mother earth, i thought it was actually about Mary and how her body and her being was used in this "great honour" when really she was just rped and used as an incubator. I thought the plot was she was approached to be a surrogate (kind of) / told of the miracle of her baby and agreed not knowing that they would be doing all this to her baby and she'd be cast aside, so she tries to protect the baby. Glad to know what this movie is actually about. The commentary was very enlightening and I actually like when you spoil movies