335 - mother! (2017)
Summary
Hosts Jeffrey Cranor and Cecil Baldwin review Darren Aronofsky’s 2017 surrealist horror film *Mother*. They analyze its biblical allegory, where Jennifer Lawrence plays Mother Earth and Javier Bardem portrays God, discussing themes of domestic anxiety and environmental destruction. The episode covers the film’s polarizing reception, comparing it to *Bo is Afraid* and praising the performances of Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Topics discussed
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Dream about a bad house repairman and selling the home
DIY drywall struggles and Michelle Pfeiffer in Mother
Re-evaluating Mother: Allegory, parable, and biblical parallels
The dynamic between Him (God) and Mother (Earth) as a marriage
Mother's sentience, the crystal, and the poet's block
The 'trad wife' aesthetic, yellow wallpaper, and trapped women
The arrival of Man (Adam) and the surgeon's intrusion
Sponsors: Midmobile and Book I Like
Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer as Cain and Abel
The murder, the blood hole, and the loss of innocence
The wake, the flood, and the house as a metaphor for Earth
Horror elements, home invasion tropes, and the flood
The birth of the child and the rise of religious zealotry
The cannibalistic crowd and the sacrifice of the baby
Mother's revenge, the reset, and the cyclical ending
Rating the movie: 6/10 and discussing the horror aspects
Wildcard selection: Choosing The Company of Wolves
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