Rent Mothers' Instinct (2024)

Entertaining Thriller - Mothers' Instinct review by GI

An entertaining psychological thriller with two solid central performances that has a cracking first half but does drift into absurdity in the second. Set in a wealthy suburb in the early 1960s neighbours and best friends, Alice (Jessica Chastain) and Celine (Anne Hathaway) have a relaxed life as stay-at-home mums of nine year old boys enjoying their social life, with loving husbands although there are hints of past traumas for each of them. When tragedy strikes their lives and relationship turns to guilt, suspicion and eventually paranoia. There's a Hitchcockian vibe to the film's tension and trajectory and the suspense builds gently and moodily until it then goes a bit too far and ends up a trifle daft. The plot turns on the chance finding of an item that by then you would think would've been more carefully hidden. Anyway, it's a solid enough thriller that is an enjoyable watch.