Psst, don't worry, there are no Mothers' Instinct film spoilers ahead.
After appearing in big movies together such as Interstellar and Armageddon Time, real-life friends Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain will lead psychological thriller Mothers' Instinct – and it's out later this month.
They play best friends and neighbours Alice and Celine, whose lives and bond appear to be picture perfect until a tragic accident totally shatters the illusion and turns their lives upside down. It leaves them questioning themselves, their mental health and each other.
Anne has opened about her work on Mothers' Instinct being "the hardest role I have played.” She told Vogue Hong Kong: “It touched my worst fear and I almost backed out of the film because I didn’t know if I could go there as an actress.”
Here's everything we know so far about Mothers' Instinct.
What is Mothers' Instinct about?
The film is adapted from the 2012 novel Derriere le Haine (Behind the Hatred) by Barbara Abel, with the story set in the 1960s. The studio behind Oscar winning Parasite acquired the rights to the psychological thriller, though the movie was actually first announced back in October 2020.
Mothers' Instinct's plot summary reads as follows: “Housewives Alice and Celine are best friends and neighbors who seem to have it all. However, when a tragic accident shatters the harmony of their lives, guilt, suspicion and paranoia begin to unravel their sisterly bond.”
Deadline has added a few more details: “Guilt, suspicion and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond, and a psychological battle of wills begins as the maternal instinct reveals its darker side.” We're imagining a sort of 60s version of Anatomy of a Scandal crossed with The Undoing sort of sitch.
Speaking about the film, director Masset-Depasse said in a statement: "It takes actors of Jessica and Anne’s caliber to communicate the intricacy of these two roles. The relationship between a mother and child is the most powerful connection between two human beings.
“When this bond is severed, it calls into question conventional morality and even sanity. In the behind-closed-doors atmosphere of 1960’s America, Mothers’ Instinct becomes a terrifying, high-pressure powder keg,' the director concluded.”
Who has been cast in Mothers' Instinct?
Joining Anne and Jessica will be Gossip Girl's Caroline Lagerfelt, Norwegian actor Anders Danielsen Lie and The Good Wife star Josh Charles.
It's quite a small cast, which is probably because it focuses so closely on the two female leads and their families.
When is Mothers' Instinct out in cinemas?
It will be released in UK cinemas on 27 March.
Is there a trailer for Mothers' Instinct?
Yes there is – watch here for an idea of how the idyllic friendship and life descends into a true horror. The film also looks to navigate female solidarity, motherhood and the challenges of women's autonomy at the time.
What do we know about the filming and costumes of Mothers' Instinct?
In scenes that feel reminiscent of Desperate Housewives crossed with Stepford Wives, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain were spotted dressed as 1960s suburban housewives. No, they haven't retreated from the limelight in favour of this way of living.
These photographs of the powerhouse actors were taken in Union County, New Jersey, where the pair were shooting for the highly-anticipated psychological thriller.
The on-set photos show both women in pretty chic block colour co-ords (which, incidentally, have made a comeback this year), as they filmed scenes and mill about the set.
However, we are living for the metallic cat eye sunnies, wicker bag and white gloves look that Anne can be seen sporting.
Not long to wait now for the release of Mothers' Instinct!
