Netflix is about to remove Mothers’ Instinct, the darkly gripping 2024 psychological thriller movie starring Oscar-winning actresses Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.
Set in early ’60s suburban America (beautifully recreated by cinematographer/director Benoît Delhomme), the pair play Alice (Chastain) and Celine (Hathaway), best friends and neighbours who “both live an idyllic traditional lifestyle with manicured lawns, successful husbands, and sons of the same age”.
Their lives are upended when Celine’s son dies in an accident. As Alice makes an effort to comfort her friend through her grief, Alice’s son and Celine grow closer.
This sparks guilt, suspicion and paranoia in Alice as she starts to suspect that Celine may have ulterior motives.
Co-starring Anders Danielsen Lie (The Worst Person in the World) and Josh Charles (The Good Wife) as Alice and Celine’s husbands, Mothers’ Instinct is a remake of the award-winning Belgian film of the same name.
While the English-language version earned mixed reviews from critics, we’d advise people who like adult-focused thrillers to seek it out.
This is because of its excellent lead turns from Chastain and Hathaway, its stylish evocation of the ’60s and its plot, which truly keeps viewers guessing as to whether Alice’s suspicions are correct.
You can read a sample of some positive reviews for Mothers’ Instinct below:
Empire Magazine: “Sophisticated, adult thrillers are few and far between, and Mothers’ Instinct fills the void admirably. With vivid, striking imagery and top-notch production design, the film paints an exciting, moreish portrait of psychological intrigue.”
Mark Kermode: “This is Anne Hathaway doing another enjoyably overcooked period drama.”
Mashable: “Spiked with twisted turns, explosive emotions, and a feud that’s frightening and fun to behold, it’s a thriller well worth its gnashed teeth and salty tears.”
Times (UK): “Watching Chastain and Hathaway sparking together as equally matched antagonists is a joyous experience. It’s like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? or Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Heat.”
Vanity Fair: “It is slickly made and thoroughly entertaining, flamboyant flourishes and all.”
Mothers’ Instinct was added to Netflix in the UK and Ireland last September.
The streaming giant, however, has since revealed that it will be taken off the service later this month.
Users’ last day to watch the movie will be Monday, 26 May.
Related: Netflix has just quietly added one of the decade’s very best movies