Darren Aronofsky is filmmaker who seems relatively unphased by genres. While he always veers towards the dramatic, Aronofsky has continually stretched the scope and subject matter of his films, from earthbound dramas like The Wrestler, to stylized head trips like Pi and Requiem for a Dream, and his ponderous massive scale projects like Noah and The Fountain. So when he makes a mystery project, it's truly mysterious.
Such is the case with his latest endeavor, the enigmatic mother!. The director's first film since Noah was filmed on 16mm and boasts an A-list cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Domnhall Gleeson and Michelle Pfeiffer. Other than that, and the fact that it will be Aronofsky's first time working without composer Clint Mansell, we've had little in the way of information on the film since it was first announced. But Paramount bought the project to CinemaCon this week, where they revealed the director will be heading back to his psycho-horror roots for a thriller in the vein of Black Swan.
The Wrap reports that Paramount Domestic Distribution chief Kyle Davies promised "thrills and chills" from Aronofsky's latest, and source close to the project confirmed the director is "flirting with the same psycho-horror" he crafted with the Natalie Portman-led perfectionist freak out that earned five Oscar nominations and a Best Actress win for Portman.
The Wrap also provided this brief synopsis:
“A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.”
This puts some interesting perspective on the fact that mother! recently took over the Halloween-friendly release date Paramount had locked down for their since-axed Friday the 13th reboot. Initially, I thought the date had to do with positioning the film late enough in the year for awards talk while avoiding the holiday box office benchmarks, but now it looks like they're aiming to tap into the power of the Halloween horror thirst.
While that might seem like a natural move, it can be a bit of a gamble for a horror film to drop in October since the month is usually stacked with genre releases, meaning lots of competition for the same target audience. In addition to mother!, October 2017 is currently the landing ground of Saw: Legacy, Insidious Chapter 4, Blade Runner 2049, and the mysterious new Cloverfield movie. Crowded, to be sure, but mother! has Paramount's marketing budget, Lawrence's star power, and Aronofsky's prestige brand to make it stand out amongst the pack. I know I'm sure as hell in! Black Swan was a true unique film and one of the best horror movies to ever sneak into awards consideration.
