Mothers' Instinct

The man directing this is actually a cinematographer. It is Benoît Delhomme's first film as director, and he shoots it himself. He did not arrive by plan: in June 2022 he replaced Olivier Masset-Depasse, who left over a family commitment. The odd part is that the source material was Masset-Depasse's own film. So this reads almost like a remake of a remake. Barbara Abel's 2012 novel was first filmed in Belgium in 2018 as Duelles; this is the American version. The story is set in the 1960s and was shot in New Jersey. Alice and Céline are neighbours with successful husbands and sons of the same age, and their lives have grown into each other. An accident breaks everything, and the friendship turns slowly into suspicion and then hostility. Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway star. Who it is for: viewers who like suburban thrillers built on period design and two strong performances. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a solid script. The story is thin, the tone wavers between comedy and thriller, and the actors are better than the text.