“Mothers’ Instinct” is a remake of a 2018 French film from director Olivier Masset-Depasse, which was an adaptation of a 2012 novel by author Barabra Abel. Screenwriter Sarah Conradt is tasked with reviving the material for an American remake, and helming duties are handed to Benoit Delhomme. The respected cinematographer (“The Theory of Everything,” “The Scent of Green Papaya”) makes his directorial debut with “Mothers’ Instinct,” facing a creative challenge with familiar material to some, trying to refresh a story that’s largely dependent on maintaining a level of surprise. There’s a lot going on in the feature, which carries the mood of melodrama but slowly turns into something else, and Delhomme has game actresses in Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, who bring a fine level of itchiness to the movie. The talent brings the endeavor to life, maintaining an appealing atmosphere of disturbing behavior as the story goes to strange places, but not always with confidence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Leave a comment