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Mothers’ Instinct review – Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain in 60s-set operatic melodrama

Thriller about rich suburban housewives whose picture-perfect lives belie past traumas lacks the self-awareness needed to prevent it from being utterly absurd

M aybe a new Catfight of the Year Oscar has to be brought in to reward this hilariously unsubtle and increasingly ridiculous psycho-melodrama of the 1960s American suburbs starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain . Some kind of cult status must be on the way, with emote-along midnight screenings.

Mothers’ Instinct is written by Sarah Conradt and directed and shot by celebrated cinematographer Benoît Delhomme making his feature debut; it is partly based on the 2012 French-language thriller Derrière la haine (Behind the Hate) by Barbara Abel, and partly on a 2018 Belgian movie adaptation. Hathaway and Chastain play Celine and Alice respectively, two prosperous stay-at-home housewives giving it the full Betty Draper feminine mystique: they are friends with matching picture-perfect lives, each with an adored nine-year-old son, each with a sturdy commuter husband (played respectively by Josh Charles and Anders Danielsen Lie) and each with an awful buried trauma. But when tragedy strikes, it unlocks irrational suspicion and vengeful obsession.

The movie ends up with such wild absurdity that it’s difficult to recall the interesting and plausible touches of dysfunction and ambiguity that went into the opening scenes – particularly some business concerning a kid’s toy bunny. But when the curtain rises on the third act, it is time for some very ripe and silly overacting and homicidal machinations which are wince-making in the wrong way. Delhomme provides us with some creamy strings on the soundtrack which signal Hitchcockian dread, but without the wry touch of black humour with which Hitchcock could paradoxically make his thrillers so plausible.

The movie starts out very serious and shocking and concludes on a note of pure farce, though I have to say Chastain’s performance has a clenched restraint which is marginally more convincing than Hathaway’s operatic but callow displays of hurt and entitlement.

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‘mothers’ instinct’ review: anne hathaway and jessica chastain in a suburban trauma drama that’s not as juicy as it should be.

The 1960s-set film, directed and shot by cinematographer Benoît Delhomme, tells the story of besties torn asunder when one of their sons dies in an accident.

By Leslie Felperin

Leslie Felperin

Contributing Film Critic

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Esteemed cinematographer Benoît Delhomme’s credits have included a conspicuous number of thoughtful, visually sumptuous period pieces, such as The Talented Mr. Ripley , The Theory of Everything and Lady Chatterley’s Lover , as well as a few films made to promote fashion brands like Balmain, Dior and Chanel. In a way, that résumé partially explains why he might have been inclined to make his directorial debut with Mothers’ Instinct, for which he also serves as the DP.

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A remake of a 2018 Belgian film, Duelles (directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse), and based on a novel by Barbara Abel, Mothers’ Instinct sounds on paper quite promising. A director with a stronger affinity for camp, comedy and queer sensibility, like Pedro Almodóvar or Todd Haynes perhaps, might have made this into a riotous self-mocking melodrama that, if tweaked right, might have packed a proper wallop in the last act despite the silliness of the final twist. The fatal mistake with this film as it stands, however, is that it takes itself so drearily seriously and seems to think it’s offering an incisive critique of mid-20th century patriarchy, or some such. It’s like a pop-up book version of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique that comes with a supplementary paper doll set so you can change the lead characters’ outfits.

Of course, there are tiny fractures in both marriages, barely visible on the surface, which end up shattering this little suburban Eden. It starts when the boys come home with bird boxes they’ve made at school and Max ends up falling off the balcony below his window to his death when he tries to hang it in the tree, proof that no good can come from handicrafts. Alice sees the disaster just before it happens from her garden and is running up the stairs to try to stop him but doesn’t make it in time. Prone to guilt because of the tragic death of her parents when she was a child in a car accident that she alone survived, Alice is distraught, of course. But not as distraught as Celine, who blames herself for not having kept an eye on her child every moment of the day; she was busy vacuuming when the accident happened, proving no good can come from housecleaning.

From here on out, Sarah Conradt’s script starts shuffling the coconut half shells around the table, suggesting that maybe it’s Alice, who admits to having spent time in an institution for depression, who’s losing her sanity. She becomes convinced that Celine, offended by something Jean said to her, killed the old woman by hiding her heart medication, and that she even has evil intent toward Theo, who is allergic to peanuts and ends up eating a carelessly left-out cookie he finds in Celine’s kitchen.

Certainly, the delicious costuming by Mitchell Travers ( The Eyes of Tammy Faye , Hustlers ) hints that something might be awry with Alice given her willingness to wear a purple, teal and blue plaid coordinating blouse and pedal pusher set that doesn’t quite suit her coloring. Celine, on the other hand, never strays from her palette of cerulean (very Devil Wears Prada) , chocolate and funereal black. She’s always accessorized with her signature string of pearls that becomes a talisman of her maternal constancy, even when a stray blank stare or twitch of the mouth suggests she might be a pig-in-a-blanket short of the full canapé tray, mental health-wise.

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Mothers’ Instinct Review

The ennui of suburban life is a well-trodden subject of cinema, peeling back the layers of a seemingly picturesque existence into something more sinister. Enter  Mothers’ Instinct , a familiar yet intriguing new addition to the cinematic ’burbs. Making his directorial debut, Benoît Delhomme's experience as a cinematographer pays off handsomely in this 1960s-set drama. Shots are beautifully and mysteriously composed. The exquisite costuming also does valuable storytelling, with colour palettes incisively reflecting the mothers’ emotional states. Everything is gorgeous to behold on the surface, which makes the darkness that lies beneath (and there's plenty of it) all the more delectable.

The real power of  Mothers’ Instinct  lies in its dynamite cast. Hathaway, whose hair and costuming has echoes of Jackie Kennedy, is outstanding as a mother trying to reacclimate to society after a terrible loss. It's the hints at something more sinister lying behind the sincerity of her performance that makes her such a treat to watch. Chastain provides a worthy foil, suffering from her own overpowering guilt and anxiety while simultaneously trying to create an idyllic life for her husband and son.

It’s a thrill of its own to have two performers at the top of their game play off each other.

The pair have starred in films together before ( Interstellar  and  Armageddon Time ), but in  Mothers’ Instinct,  they finally get to share a frame. It’s a thrill of its own to have two performers at the top of their game play off each other, and their chemistry is every bit as exhilarating as trying to figure out the film’s next move. Supporting performances impress, too — though their characters are not as rich, Josh Charles impresses as a father struck by grief, and Anders Danielsen Lie makes the most of his role as a rather generic unsupportive husband.

Tension builds steadily and menacingly throughout  Mothers’ Instinct . While the time period and subject matter may seem like a natural fit for melodrama, Delhomme plays things surprisingly even-handedly. It's a choice that pays off, letting the actors guide the emotions without the overbearing strings you'd expect from the genre. The scope of the story is purposefully limited, resulting in a few scenes that feel somewhat samey, but overall, this is a taut, emotive thriller you won’t soon forget.

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International Edition

Mothers’ Instinct: maternal grief turns deadly in this intense but predictable psychological thriller

Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway go toe to toe in a suspenseful suburban story dressed up in immaculate pastel outfits and one too many retro-thriller tropes.

26 March 2024

By  Kate Stables

Suburban motherhood is a hothouse incubator for murderous fears in Benoît Delhomme’s brittle, female-centred psychological thriller, which filters the maternal grief and guilt surrounding a child’s death into an intense if predictable suspense story.

He’s whipped up a handsome, 1960s-set showcase for stars-and-producers Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, who engage in a mother-off here as suburban New Jersey next-door-neighbours whose friendship cracks when Alice (a taut, jittery Chastain) witnesses the accidental death of Celine’s young son Max. As the despairing Celine becomes fixated on Alice’s son Theo, a succession of ambiguous events (a stolen toy in Max’s coffin, Theo teetering on Max’s fatal-fall balcony, a nut-allergy near-miss) winds into a paranoid web of suspicion that haunts the guilt-ridden Alice.

Despite being anchored by a fine, well-matched pair of performances (Josh Charles’s grief-broken father, and Anders Danielsen Lie’s pragmatic husband are unapologetically sidelined), the film can’t shake off a slightly second-hand feel. Probably because it’s a very faithful (occasionally even shot-for-shot) English-language remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse’s dark 2018 Belgian drama Duelles, but one lacking the Hitchcockian crackle of the original. First-time director Delhomme (who’s had a distinguished career as a cinematographer on films like 2014’s The Theory of Everything) elects to keep the film visually simple, and firmly performance-led. Dressed with a few retro-thriller tropes (lots of window-spying shots, a house transformed from haven to deathtrap) it’s an elegant, if slightly characterless piece.

A film that shows a restrained nostalgia for the Sirkian suburban ‘drama of swollen emotion’, it is stickily obsessed by the social pressure on 1960s housewives to be perfect wives and mothers. “Is it enough for you, this life?” Alice asks the docile Celine early on, after her husband forbids her return to journalism, like a page from The Feminine Mystique. The repeated contrast of strained, well-mannered cocktail parties and tense suppers with glimpses of Hathaway writhing in despair or Chastain overcome by suspicions results in a clunky narrative insistence that domestic oppression brings forth lurid neuroses.

As the mysterious accidents and febrile accusations mount, the film’s good taste palls a bit. All that jealousy, gaslighting and coercion comes immaculately wrapped in pastel outfits, Chastain in a Tippi Hedren blonde chignon and neat shifts, while Hathaway channels White House-era Jackie Kennedy. One starts to long for a bit of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) gothic quotable camp to liven up the proceedings. Fewer canapés, more catfights. Star wattage and period perfect sugar-almond-hued suits can only take a film so far.

►  Mothers’ Instinct is in UK cinemas from 29 March.

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Summary Alice and Celine live a traditional lifestyle with 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.

Directed By : Benoît Delhomme

Written By : Barbara Abel, Sarah Conradt

Mothers' Instinct

Anne Hathaway

Jessica Chastain

Josh Charles

Caroline Lagerfelt

Anders Danielsen Lie

Eamon patrick o'connell, keeley miller, pregnant mother, baylen d. bielitz, alexander blaise, dr. wallace, steve routman, medical examiner, lauren yaffe, scott robertson, larry petersen, singing boy #2, gina guzzi francia, critic reviews.

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‘Mothers’ Instinct’ Review – An Underexplored Psychological Warfare Between Two Grieving Mothers

• By Liselotte Vanophem
• April 11, 2024
• No Comments

A mother’s instinct is always right, especially regarding stranger danger. We all know that we must keep our kids away from potentially dangerous strangers, but what if danger and evil come in a much friendlier form, let’s say in the form of your closest friend and neighbour? Then you find yourself in the shoes of Alice (Jessica Chastain), who, after a tragic accident, starts to see her friend and neighbour Celine (Anne Hathaway) in a much different, darker way in Benoît Delhomme’s directorial debut Mothers’ Instinct .

There was a time when Alice and Celine’s friendship could have easily been described as a sisterhood. Their breadwinning husbands – purely side characters in this feature – get along well with each other, and their sons, Theo (Eamon O’Connell) and Max (Baylen D. Bielitz), are best friends. While the women are opposite in some respects, Alice is much more liberal thinking while Celine is much more traditional, their friendship would have lasted very long. That Is until a tragedy strikes this idyllic suburban town.

When Max falls to his death while attempting to attach a bird box to his balcony – which Alice unfortunately witnesses – the lives of the two mothers are entirely turned upside down. Alice is overcome with guilt, fury and distress, while Celine holds her best friends guilty for the death of her son. Max’s passing is the catalyst of their once-idyllic friendship becoming a much more strained relationship filled with paranoia, tension, and suspicion. Even more so when a series of sinister incidents lead to something much darker.

There’s no doubt that Mothers’ Instinct is an old-fashioned thriller in which the ’60s come to life in a very detailed way. While the dynamic performances elevate the secretive vibe to a certain level, there’s not enough intrigue and darkness for the feature to grab the audience by the throat. Whether it’s a dark threat appearing or a scene in which a menacing discovery is about to be made, it’s all dealt with in a fast-paced way. Because of this, you don’t feel that unnerving and eery feeling overwhelming you. Some more patient editing and a much deeper focus on the individual events would have driven the storyline much better and would have increased the connection with the audience even more.

The deeper focus (and a longer runtime, as this movie only lasts for 95 minutes) would have also allowed the writer and director to delve more into the psychological and societal aspects they briefly touch upon in this movie. When Alice loses grip on reality and falls deeper into her rabbit hole full of anxiety, responsibility, and overprotective thoughts, her past of mental health issues and medication comes to light, but that aspect isn’t being explored whatsoever. In a psychological thriller like this, that element should have been one of the key factors. The probable main reason why that aspect only deserved a mention is that this movie doesn’t know what it wants to be. One moment, it’s a psychological thriller, and the next one, it’s a stylish melodrama.

Because of this lack of direction and purpose, the performances are also all over the place. Chastain ( IT: Chapter Two , Memory ) wants to show us the many aspects of her character, whether it’s the headstrong wife, concerned mother, or troubled woman. Still, due to the speed of the scenes, she can’t bring the necessary vulnerability and emotions to the screen. The same goes for Hathaway. It’s clear that her character’s grief is not everything that it seems and that there’s maybe a potential evil lurking inside Alice (or is Celine just making that up?), but Hathaway ( She Came to Me ) can’t deliver the menacing character trait at all due to the shattered script. If you’ve seen her in Eileen , you know that this acting heavyweight can provide a fascinating and creepy performance, but she just can’t in this film.

While there’s a lack of danger, there’s certainly an abundance of the 60’s atmosphere, thanks to the stunning work of the hair and make-up team, set designer, and cinematographer. Delhomme had been making a living as a cinematographer before putting on the director’s cap, so it was probably a no-brainer that he would also take on the role of cinematographer in this feature. He certainly has an eye for creating stunning visuals and shaping brightly coloured suburbs.

In a society where image, appearance, and status are key, housewives must ensure they look impeccable every time of day, even when tending the roses in the garden or attending a funeral. Whether it’s Jess’s striped pink bodycon dress, her bright yellow one, or Celine’s much darker funeral clothes and plain-looking outfit, they’re all impeccably chosen. Not only because they ooze the ’60s vibe but also because they represent the difference between the two friends in a fashionable way.

Equally contrasting are the hair colours. Chastain radiates her otherworldly elegance with her icy cool blonde hair in a bun, while Hathaway looks like Jackie Kennedy (it’s the time of the Kennedy, after all) with her black hair. With her darker hair, you would think that Celine is the course of all the evil, but what if Alice is not as angelic as she appears to be? Yes, don’t let looks fool you because there’s more behind those glossy façades of pink and chrome and plastic smiles than you would initially think. You will also undoubtedly swoon at the stunning and must-have glassware, the very timely and pastel colours of cars, and the open vibrancy of the houses, all coming together beautifully in Ernesto Solo’s ( The Trial of the Chicago 7, Nyad ) gorgeous art design.

If the noir-ish melodrama sounds familiar, then you’re not losing your mind (unlike Alice, maybe). Mothers’ Instinct is a remake of the French film Duelles , based on Barbara Abel’s novel Derrière la Haine . This adaptation is the first English film adaptation of the original novel, and sadly, a lot got lost in translation. There’s no doubt that Chastain and Hathaway have excellent chemistry as next-door neighbours, but even they can’t elevate this suburban nightmare due to the underdeveloped psychological elements and the unbalanced script.

Mothers’ Instinct is currently playing in theaters in the UK and Ireland courtesy of StudioCanal. The film will premiere in the United States courtesy of NEON on a date yet to be announced. 

Mothers' Instinct is a remake of the French film Duelles, based on Barbara Abel's novel Derrière la Haine. This adaptation is the first English film adaptation of the original novel, and sadly, a lot got lost in translation. There's no doubt that Chastain and Hathaway have excellent chemistry as next-door neighbours, but even they can't elevate this suburban nightmare due to the underdeveloped psychological elements and the unbalanced script.

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Suburban Tragedy Unravels Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain in ‘Mothers’ Instinct’ Trailer

By Larisha Paul

Larisha Paul

Academy Award-winning actresses Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway are having a literal mother-off in the first official trailer for Mothers’ Instinct . The forthcoming directorial debut from cinematographer Benoît Delhomme stars Chastain and Hathaway as Alice and Céline, respectively and follows their picture-perfect life in Sixties suburbia: they’re best friends raising sons of the same age in the same neighborhood together.

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Mothers’ Instinct is based on Barbara Abel’s novel of the same name, published in 2012. The novel was first adapted in 2018 for a Belgian film directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse and starring Veerle Baetens alongside Anne Coesens. Josh Charles and Anders Danielsen Lie appear in the 2024 film alongside Hathaway and Chastain.

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'Mothers' Instinct': Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know So Far

Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain play two best friends in adaptation set in the 1960s.

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Both Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain might be promoting their recent projects Eileen and Memory coming out in theaters later this year, but they have a lot to look forward to as they reunite onscreen in the upcoming US version of Mothers' Instinct . The film is based on a novel by Barbara Abel , and it tackles a friendship between two women that is forever transformed after a fatal accident. Hathaway revealed in an interview with Vogue Hong Kong that her role in the forthcoming thriller is her "hardest one" yet, which only adds to the anticipation for this adaptation to the screen. From cast details to the plot, here is everything that we know so far about the suspenseful project set in the 1960s.

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on January 9, 2024.

Mothers' Instinct

Alice and Celine live a traditional lifestyle with 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.

The release date for the film hasn't been revealed yet, but the film's official poster says it will be out soon. Even though Mothers' Instinct wrapped up in July 2022, much hasn't been disclosed about a theatrical release or whether it will land on streaming directly. Several images of Hathaway and Chastain on set surfaced online last year, revealing the actresses in their 1960s attire and hairdos. The Devil Wears Prada lead even left Cannes early in 2022 after her festival debut so that she could return to work on the project in New Jersey.

The official trailer for Mothers' Instinct was released by Studiocanal on January 9, 2024, giving audiences their first official look at the film.

Even though the release date and trailer haven't come out yet, there is information available about the film's main cast. As previously mentioned, Academy Award-winners Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain will play the two best friends that undergo a fall-out after a tragic accident. The two actresses shared the screen before in Christopher Nolan 's Interstellar back in 2014. Since then, they have both been busy with other onscreen endeavors. Last year, Hathaway starred in the Apple TV + series WeCrashed alongside Jared Leto , which followed the true story of the rise and fall of a startup called WeWork. She also played Esther Graff in Armageddon Time , described by Collider's own Ross Bonaime as "one of Gray’s most ambitious tales so far, even if it isn’t quite as effective in presenting its ideas as it should be". Meanwhile, Chastain has been busy with various roles after winning an Oscar for Best Actress in early 2022. From starring as Amy Loughren in Netflix's The Good Nurse to playing another Tammy on a Showtime original series, the actress has continued to not only deliver memorable onscreen performances but also remained vocal about actors' rights during the SAG-AFTRA strike. Since her latest project ( Memory ) had an interim agreement, she used her opportunity to promote the film as a way to continue to support the strike .

In an interview with IndieWire on the 48th Annual Chaplin Gala , Chastain described the upcoming project as similar to What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? , which starred Bette Davis and Joan Crawford . Different from the animosity between Davis and Crawford on set, The Eyes of Tammy Faye actress shared that she had a lot of fun working opposite Hathaway:

“Of course it’s a different kind of film, but it’s this idea of these two actresses coming together and playing this…the tension I think is very interesting. Thank god Annie and I love each other, so it’s a little different than that experience.”

Other names tied to the film are Josh Charles ( The Good Wife ) and Anders Danielson Lie ( The Worst Person in the World ), who are expected to play the husbands of Hathaway and Chastain's characters . Gossip Girl actress Caroline Lagerfelt is also joining the project, but her role hasn't been revealed yet.

Benoit Delhomme is responsible for directing Mothers' Instinct and this will be his directorial debut. After working as a cinematographer on films like Lady Chatterley's Lover and A Most Wanted Man , Delhomme is ready to lead the ensemble and crew in this new role. The screenplay was written by Sarah Conradt , who had previously worked on two episodes of 50 States of Fright . NEON acquired the distribution rights of Mothers' Instinct , which will be produced by Hathaway, Chaistain, and Kelly Carmichael (the latter two under production company Freckle Films).

Freckle Films shared the following statement after NEON was announced as the film's official US distributor:

“Neon is a true filmmaker’s haven. Their unique vision and distinctive campaigns are a reflection of their mission to bring the best and most diverse cinematic experience to US audiences. Mothers’ Instinct will be in excellent hands with Tom and the team.”

Other producers of the upcoming thriller are Paul Nelson of Mosaic and Jacques-Henri Bronckart .

Yes indeed, the movie is essentially a US version of a Belgian picture called Duelles , directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse . The first onscreen adaptation of Barbara Abel's novel came out in 2018, and it featured actresses Veerle Baetens and Anne Coesens as the leads. Duelles was critically acclaimed and even won Best Feature at the Chicago International Film Festival . The film also received 9 awards at the Magritte Awards , a prestigious ceremony in Belgium.

Even though Benoit Delhomme went on to direct the US version, Masset-Depasse was originally announced as the director of the remake .

The official synopsis from Studiocanal reads:

Starring Academy Award winners Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, Mothers’ Instinct is an unnerving psychological thriller about two best friends and neighbors, Alice and Céline, whose perfect lives in ‘60s suburbia are shattered by a tragic accident involving one of their children. Marking the directorial debut of acclaimed cinematographer Benoit Delhomme, we follow Alice and Céline as their familial bonds are gradually undermined by guilt and paranoia and a gripping battle of wills develops, revealing the darker side of maternal love.

Mothers’ Instinct: trailer, cast and everything we know about the movie

Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway star in the riveting new thriller.

A mother’s intuition is a feeling like no other and it will prove vital in the new thriller, Mothers’ Instinct , an entry in the lineup of 2024 new movies . The project sees Oscar-winning actresses Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway play neighbors and best friends who each have a son. When one of the boys dies, there is a major shift in the women’s friendship as one of them wrestles with guilt and the other battles paranoia that her son is in grave danger. 

Want to know more about Mothers’ Instinct before you dive right into watch? Here’s everything we know about it.  

Mothers’ Instinct release date

Mothers’ Instinct has not received an official release date as of publication, but it's slated to premiere sometime in 2024. Once we learn of a specific date, we’ll pass along the information. 

Mothers’ Instinct plot 

Here’s an official synopsis of the movie based on Mothers’ Instinct: A Novel of Suspense by Barbara Abel: 

"Starring Academy Award winners Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, Mothers’ Instinct is an unnerving psychological thriller about two best friends and neighbors, Alice and Céline, whose perfect lives in ‘60s suburbia are shattered by a tragic accident involving one of their children. Marking the directorial debut of acclaimed cinematographer Benoit Delhomme, we follow Alice and Céline as their familial bonds are gradually undermined by guilt and paranoia and a gripping battle of wills develops, revealing the darker side of maternal love."

The script was penned by Barbara Abel and Sarah Conradt. 

Mothers’ Instinct cast

As previously mentioned, Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway star in the movie. Chastain recently won an Oscar for portraying Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker) in The Eyes of Tammy Faye . She’s also previously starred in The Help , Zero Dark Thirty , Memory , The Good Nurse and currently stars in George & Tammy . 

Hathaway has certainly come a long way since starring in The Princess Diaries . Since then, she’s gone on to win an Oscar for Les Misérables and star in projects like The Dark Knight Rises , The Hustle , Ocean’s Eight and she recently portrayed Patricia in She Came to Me . 

The movie also features Anders Danielsen Lie ( The Worst Person in the World ) and Josh Charles ( We Own This City ).  

Mothers’ Instinct trailer

It’s refreshing to see Hathaway portray a darker, more sinister role. Take a look at the trailer below. 

Mothers’ Instinct director

Benoît Delhomme makes his directorial debut with Mothers’ Instinct . He’s previously worked in the movie business as a cinematographer. 

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Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities.  When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include  The Crown ,  WandaVision , Abbot Elementary   and  Godfather of Harlem .  And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC  90 Day Fiancé  universe. 

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Jessica Chastain reveals why it was ‘difficult’ working with Anne Hathaway on Mother’s Instinct

Jessica Chastain has revealed why it was “difficult” to work with her co-star Anne Hathaway on the set of their latest movie, Mother’s Instinct.

The psychological thriller, set in Sixties suburbia, follows Alice and Celine, two best friends and mothers, as a tragic accident leads to paranoia and guilt rapidly unravelling their bond.

Chastain, who previously worked with Hathaway on Christopher Nolan ’s sci-fi movie Interstellar , unpacked the dynamic between them on set in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

The actor said it was “difficult” to work with the Princess Diaries star due to their previous relationship.

The pair consider each other close friends and Chastain said their closeness made the performance of enmity a challenge.

“It was more difficult to play friends who have conflict in the story, especially when you care about the person so much,” adding that she would “love to work with her where we don’t have an extreme conflict”.

Bafta and Emmy award-winning actor Hathaway praised Chastain for being “one of the greatest living actresses”, saying she considered Chastain a “darling friend”.

Chastain reiterated the closeness of their friendship, praising Hathaway’s performance. “She’s really incredible and can just switch on a dime,” she said.

“You see actresses who have to rev it up for a long time, but she’s not like that. She’s professional, and once cameras roll she is able to conjure up this depth of feeling.”

The actor, who won an Academy Award for her performance as televangelist Tammy Faye in the 2021 movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye ,recently starred in the movie Memory, directed by Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco.

In The Independent ’s three-star review of Memory, chief film critic Clarisse Loughrey said: “Chastain allows the grief of a lost girlhood to twist her body inwards, to keep it taut and perpetually on the defence.”

Hathaway and Chastain, who are both producers on the movie, also commented on the industry’s inclusivity in the interview.

“I’m hesitant to celebrate,” Hathaway said, while both acknowledged that some progress was being made towards more diverse and inclusive films being made.

Mother’s Instinct is released in cinemas on 27 March.

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Halle Berry On Tapping Into Her Mother Instinct For Lionsgate Horror Movie ‘Never Let Go’ – CinemaCon

By Anthony D'Alessandro , Nancy Tartaglione

At CinemaCon on Wednesday, Lionsgate showed off its recently added 2024 fall release, Alexandre Aja’s Never Let Go , a freaky tale about a mother and her fraternal twins who have never gone beyond their forested environs: Whenever they leave the cabin, they are bounded by rope as they venture into the scary woods.

“It was a creepy environment that I had never seen before,” said star Halle Berry , who reteams with the studio that notched her a Best Actress Oscar win for Monster’s Ball.

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“I had to learn how to skin a squirrel” said Berry about her prep for the role. Not to mention, the characters eat raw frogs in the film.

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Lionsgate Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson asked the actress about drawing on her instincts as a mother for the role.

Said Berry, “This movie reminds me how I would protect my children in this life. We often say I would take a bullet for my kids. Would you take a knife for your kids? What would you do to protect your children?”

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Fogelson asked the actress how it feesl to be an EP on the movie.

“EP means you have a seat on the table. You’re no longer the dancing bear. You have some say in what’s being created,” said Berry.

Never Let Go is coming out September 27, having taken the place to Saw XI which moved to next year.

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Unsung Hero

The movie also follows the family's mother, Helen Smallbone, as she uses her faith to hold the family of nine together by turning struggles into an adventure for her children. The movie also follows the family's mother, Helen Smallbone, as she uses her faith to hold the family of nine together by turning struggles into an adventure for her children. The movie also follows the family's mother, Helen Smallbone, as she uses her faith to hold the family of nine together by turning struggles into an adventure for her children.

• Richard L. Ramsey
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• Kirrilee Berger

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‘YOLO’ Review: A Megahit Chinese Boxing Movie That Needs More Punch

Director-star Jia Ling gives an endearing performance as a meek layabout who finds a new lease on life in the ring, but this box-office sensation takes far too long to get where it's so obviously going.

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Determined to change her life, Leying takes a waitressing job and leaves home, renting a small apartment with help from her gently supportive mother (a lovely Zhao Haiyan, underplaying more than most). It takes this 129-minute movie an awfully long time to get through this essential setup, and still Leying’s self-reinvention is some way off. Much of a sluggish second act is consumed with her halting, ultimately toxic relationship with hard-up boxing coach Hao Kun (Lei Jiayin), who takes her on as an unlikely student. The feelings she develops for him aren’t returned in equal proportion, but they move in together nonetheless, as Leying becomes an emotional punching bag for Hao Kun’s frustrations over his own thwarted sporting dreams.

There’s potentially a whole film in this pained, conflicted anti-romance, but “YOLO” treats it as merely another narrative hurdle to be cleared before it belatedly reaches its feelgood crux — when Leying finally strikes out on her own and hits the gym hard. Cue a series of training montages, as Leying sheds over 100 pounds over the course of a year, and eagerly fashions herself as a featherweight. It’s a remarkable before-our-eyes metamorphosis, and as the woman who underwent it in real life, Jia shoots and presents this passage in an understandably proud, rousing register. Yet the film’s emphatic celebration of a character’s physical change, after having played her size for comedy earlier on, somewhat compromises the intended air of uplift. Viewers can take what message they want from Leying’s progression, but not all will find body positivity in her less-is-more makeover.

Spiritual and psychological well-being is the longer-term goal here, and “YOLO” does bring Leying closer to that goal via a poignant sporting climax that strikes a more realistic note than much of the preceding drama. Still, it’s an outcome we could have called far earlier in proceedings, well before Jia really shows her hand by sampling Bill Conti’s “Rocky” theme to soundtrack her character’s training. As a director, she has little use for nuance and less still for subtlety. An an actor, she corrects those deficits to some extent: There’s a quiet, believable integrity to Leying that pulls her through the film’s more crass or condescending interludes and its shiny, pastel-hued styling. Anyone familiar with “100 Yen Love” may well find themselves missing that film’s shadows and crevices. But it’s precisely “YOLO’s” lighter tone and heavier hand that has made it a multimillion-dollar baby.

Reviewed at Odeon Luxe Haymarket, London, Apr. 17, 2024. Running time: 129 MIN.

• Production: (China) A Sony Pictures International presentation of a New Century Pictures, China Film Co., Alibaba Pictures, Little M Media, Big Bowl Entertainment Culture Media Co., Tencent Penguin Pictures production. Producers: Li Ning, Tian Tian, Zhou Xiuqing, Zhang Wen.
• Crew: Director: Jia Ling. Screenplay: Jia, Sun Jibin, Liu Honglu, Guo Yupen, Bu Yu, based on the screenplay "100 Yen Love" by Shin Adachi. Camera: Michael Liu. Editor: Zhou Xiaolin. Music: Fei Peng.
• With: Jia Ling, Lei Jiayin, Zhang Xiaofei, Zhao Haiyan, Xu Jun Cong, Yang Zi, Sha Yi. (Mandarin dialogue)

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