Jennifer Lawrence Says She Didn’t Understand ‘Mother!’ (2017) Either

Ostensibly a meditation on motherhood, greed and environmental conservation, fans found the film’s claustrophobic vibe and grating sound design rendered it almost unwatchable.

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Lawrence was on WWHL to promote her new comedy film No Hard Feelings (2023).

After making critically-acclaimed films like Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010), director Darren Aronofsky has earned a reputation as a skilled artist and storyteller. However, fans were torn when he released the psychological horror movie Mother! in 2017. Ostensibly a meditation on motherhood, greed and environmental conservation, fans found the film’s claustrophobic vibe and grating sound design rendered it almost unwatchable.

Jennifer Lawrence was overwhelmed by her husband’s sicko guests in Mother! (2017).

Now, enough time has passed that even the film’s star (and Aronofsky’s girlfriend during filming) can joke about what a mess Mother! actually was. Jennifer Lawrence played the main and title character in the film, credited only as “mother”. Recently the Academy Award winning actress was a guest on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live where she was (semi-jokingly) asked if she knew what Mother! was supposed to be about.

The question happened during a game of “Plead the Fifth” during which guests must answer difficult questions about their lives and careers, knowing that they can “plead the fifth” to a maximum of one question. Andy Cohen dug in and asked about the highly publicized rumor that Miley Cyrus’ recent hit song “Flowers” referenced an affair Lawrence had with Cyrus’ husband, her Hunger Games co-star Liam Hemsworth. Lawrence said that rumor is untrue. She said she and Hemsworth kissed “years after” he and Cyrus broke up.

Next, Cohen asked Lawrence, “On a scale from one to totally confused, how much did you understand your film Mother!?” Lawrence responded, “I’m going to be honest, well I was sleeping with the director so I had Cliff’s Notes. So… five?” Cohen and Lawrence laughed throughout the exchange, but it felt like vindication for fans who have long thought that Mother! was a rare misstep by Aronofsky.

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Chrissy is the co-founder of Creepy Catalog. She has over 10 years of experience writing about horror, a degree in philosophy and Reiki level II certification.

Chrissy Stockton