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Mothers' Instinct

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Mothers' Instinct

R

Released Jul 26, 2024

1h 34m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

63 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Set in the early '60s, best friends and neighbors Alice (Jessica Chastain) and Celine (Anne Hathaway) both live an idyllic traditional lifestyle with manicured lawns, successful husbands, and sons of the same age. Life's perfect harmony is suddenly shattered after a tragic accident. Guilt, suspicion and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond a psychological battle of wills begins as the maternal instinct reveals its darker side.

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Critics Consensus

Mothers' Instinct is a glossily enjoyable showcase for Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, although the stars are ill-served by a thin story and shaky tonal command.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

“Mothers’ Instinct” gets by on its pulpy potential more than anything else.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 16, 2024

Full Review

Ty Burr

Washington Post

The movie that is is disappointingly bloodless, cold rather than chilling, with a payoff that isn’t shocking so much as an admission that we’ve spent 90 minutes we’ll never get back.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 15, 2024

Full Review

Richard Lawson

Vanity Fair

It is slickly made and thoroughly entertaining, flamboyant flourishes and all. But it seems that, with a few minor exceptions, no one really knows what to do with movies like it anymore.

Jul 31, 2024

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John Serba

Decider

To say the third act is an utter hogslop mess is to grossly underplay the messiness of hog slop.

Jan 6, 2025

Full Review

Ben Gibbons

Screen Rant

Mothers' Instinct delivers a tense, compelling, and thrilling story that leads to constant guessing and reassessing about what could be true.

Rated: 8/10

Jan 4, 2025

Full Review

Francesca Steele

iNews.co.uk

This Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway thriller relies on stereotypes it never gets round to subverting.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 11, 2024

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Megan D

If you love psychological thrillers watch this !! It had a lot of unpredictable moments that most thrillers don’t today and the acting is outstanding.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/31/25

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Tom M

Very good paranoid thriller. Didn't overstay its welcome. Kept you guessing, mainly. Very un-Hollywood denoument.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/11/25

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Tisha F

Absolutely loved Mother’s Instinct! The acting was superb—every character brought so much depth and emotion to the story. The plot kept me engaged from start to finish, and the cinematography was breathtaking. It’s a powerful and moving film that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a captivating drama!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/07/25

Full Review

Shelly C

What? I hated this film. The acting was fine, if not rather melodramatic, however the storytelling was silly and unpleasant to watch. This story told in a French film doesn't give the green light to a similar telling in a contrite US version.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/01/25

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Devin B

Acting is great but the story takes too long to get to the climax.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/04/25

Full Review

Nim T

Surprised to see the relatively low ratings for the movie. As much as I didn't like the story, the chemistry between the actors and actresses was executed well. Anne Hathaway was impressive in this character that just had nothing but unconditional love for her only son. The transition from her being good to bad was not something I liked to see, but objectively presented it understandably. Jessica Chastain was able to receive the act from Hathaway and possessed no less understanding of the loss of family. Setting was simple, yet nostalgic with the old cars and the decorations of the houses. The makeup and visual effects was clear, and portrays woman homemakers accurately.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/20/25

Full Review

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Benoît Delhomme

Director

Anne Hathaway

Céline

Jessica Chastain

Alice

Eamon Patrick O'Connell

Theo

Anders Danielsen Lie

Simon

Josh Charles

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Mothers' Instinct: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Set in the early '60s, best friends and neighbors Alice (Jessica Chastain) and Celine (Anne Hathaway) both live an idyllic traditional lifestyle with manicured lawns, successful husbands, and sons of the same age. Life's perfect harmony is suddenly shattered after a tragic accident. Guilt, suspicion and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond a psychological battle of wills begins as the maternal instinct reveals its darker side.

Director: Benoît Delhomme
Producer: Kelly Carmichael, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Paul Nelson, Jacques-Henri Bronckart
Screenwriter: Sarah Conradt-Kroehler
Distributor: NEON
Production Co: Anton, Mosaic, Freckle Films, Versus Production, Wheelhouse Productions
Rating: R (Some Violence|Brief Sexuality)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 26, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2024
Runtime: 1h 34m

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