Review: Mothers' Instinct

Mothers' Instinct is a Hitchcock-style suspense thriller produced by its stars Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. (Now streaming on Prime Video)Mothers' Instinct is a Hitchcock-style suspense thriller produced by its stars Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. (Now streaming on Prime Video)Watch the movie trailer here.It's a reflection on the current state of the movies that a film like Mothers' Instinct should seem like a little art film rather than what it is - a reasonable-sized mainstream thriller with two big-name Hollywood stars in it.The sort of thing that Alfred Hitchcock used to make back in the Fifties and Sixties.But if Hollywood no longer makes psychological thrillers a priority - Mothers' Instinct is showing on Amazon Prime - in Europe they still do very well.The Belgian original of Mothers' Instinct was big at home and did well enough outside to warrant an American remake, starring Hollywood royalty Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, who both also produced it.The story takes place in 1960 suburbia. Two houses, two families, two mothers.Alice is thinking of going back to work, while Celine is happy to stay at home. Their two 10-year-old sons are best friends. All in all, an idyllic life until tragedy strikes.Alice is out in the garden when she sees Celine's son Max out on a ledge. And before she can get to him - or warn Celine - Max falls to his death.The effects are devastating. Celine, so happy and sensible before, now locks herself away. Alice tries to make contact with her, to no avail.And the two husbands are also in shock, while Max's best friend Theo - Alice's son - has to try and make sense of it all.Alice starts to have suspicions when her friend Celine and her son Theo spend more and more time together. Too much time, or perfectly innocent?This is classic Hitchcock. How much is real, and how much our imagination?Is Celine - a sombre, buttoned-up Anne Hathaway - simply offering the boy support, or is there more to it?And is Alice - a permanently on-edge Jessica Chastain - just being paranoid, constantly seeing things that aren't there?First-time director Benoit Delhomme is one of France's most respected cinematographers - he also shot Mothers' Instinct - and the film undoubtedly looks terrific, as much for what it doesn't show as what it does.His skill is keeping us guessing all the way through the film.Is one of these respectable wives crazy, and if so which one? A grieving mother tipped over the edge, or an over-protective one wrapping her child in cotton wool?…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details