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What is Jennifer Lawrence’s Mysterious Film Mother! Actually About?

Jennifer Lawrence’s upcoming film Mother! promises to show us a side of the actress we haven’t seen before.


Jennifer Lawrence
Photographer: Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin Stylist: Alex White

Darren Aronofsky‘s upcoming film Mother! should show us a side of Jennifer Lawrence we haven’t quite seen before. It is, after all, her first collaboration with an A-List director not named David O. Russell, and aside from those Russell films and Passengers she’s mostly kept busy the past few years with her duties to her X-Men and Hunger Games franchises.

While the tabloid press has managed to dig up details of the romance that developed between the director and actress, no one is really sure what exactly the movie is supposed to be out. The film has been described as centering “on a couple whose relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.” Other than that, details are few and far between.

Over the weekend, however, Paramount Pictures decided to take advantage of the Mother’s Day holiday and released a haunting poster for the film that begs more questions than it answers.

Yes, it’s a painting of Lawrence proffering her actual heart to, well, someone we suppose after it’s been ripped straight out of her chest.

Paramount Domestic Distribution chief Kyle Davies has previously stated that the film will deliver “thrills and chills,” and The Wrap reports that a source says, “Aronofsky is flirting with the same psycho-horror that won Natalie Portman an Oscar for the unraveling ballerina she played in Black Swan.”

The poster certainly seems to confirm that the film is indeed a thriller and a chiller.

Javier Bardem receives co-billing on the poster alongside Lawrence, and we might assume that the stars play the couple who has their relationship tested, but there’s not any confirmation on that.

Jennifer Lawrence’s Hair Evolution: From Blonde to Brunette, Long to Short

A young Jennifer Lawrence steps out at the The Burning Plain premiere during the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008 with her blonde locks in a tousled up-do, dewy skin and a neutral eye.

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Lawrence attended the The Burning Plain premiere in in 2009 wearing a natural face and bold red lip.

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The actress stunned at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards in 2011, where she received her first Oscar nomination for her role in Winter’s Bone, with soft blonde curls and a subtle smokey eye.

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The actress wore her dark brown hair in a tousled bun at the LA premiere of Silver Linings Playbook in 2012.

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With a dramatic smoky eye, sun-kissed skin and tousled bangs, Lawrence wowed at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games in 2013.

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Lawrence wore her hair swept back to take home her first Oscar for her role in Silver Linings Playbook in 2013.

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The actress went back to brunette for the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2013.

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Lawrence rocked a tousled pixie cut with dewy skin and a pink lip at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2014.

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Lawrence glowed at The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 premiere in 2015 with her short locks in tousled waves, a classic red lip and a shimmery gold eye.

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Lawrence attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards in 2016 with her hair in a sleek bob, rosy cheeks and a pink lip.

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Wearing her silver gray bob in tousled waves with a bold red lip, Lawrence arrives at the screening of X-Men Apocalypse in London.

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A simple tousled updo with an exaggerated smoky eye was the look at the Passengers photo-call.

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Wearing her perfectly blown-out locks with a light contour on the cheekbones, Lawrence arrives at the Passengers photo-call in Madrid.

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Lawrence wears her tousled, beachy blonde waves middle-parted with a soft gray smoky eye and a nude lip.

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Stunning at the Christian Dior, couturier du reve’ Exhibition Launch in Paris, Lawrence wears an exaggerated smoky cat eye with a nude lip.

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Actress Jennifer Lawrence wore her hair in messy waves at the French Premiere of “mother!” at Cinema UGC Normandie on September 7, 2017, in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Stephane Cardinale – Corbis

Jennifer Lawrence looked angelic with flowers in her hair at the New York premiere of “mother!” at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/FilmMagic)

James Devaney

Jennifer Lawrence wore her shoulder-length hair in loose waves at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 10, 2017, in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Kevin Winter

Actress Jennifer Lawrence looked sleek with super straight locks at ELLE’s 24th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 16, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Jon Kopaloff

Jennifer Lawrence pulled her highlighted hair back into a messy updo at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences’ 9th Annual Governors Awards on November 11, 2017, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Steve Granitz

Jennifer Lawrence wore her wavy blonde hair in a center-parted updo at The Hollywood Reporter‘s 2017 Women In Entertainment Breakfast at Milk Studios on December 6, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Alberto E. Rodriguez

Actress Jennifer Lawrence wore her straight blonde hair slicked down at the EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) held at Royal Albert Hall on February 18, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Jeff Spicer

Jennifer Lawrence rocked voluminous curls at the Red Sparrow European premiere on February 19, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)

Tristan Fewings

Jennifer Lawrence wore her blonde hair in a tight bun at the Red Sparrow New York premiere on February 26, 2018, in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/WireImage)

Michael Loccisano

Jennifer Lawrence attended the 90th Annual Academy Awards with her hair styled in glamorous, loose curls. (Photo by Dan MacMedan/WireImage)

Dan MacMedan

Jennifer Lawrence stepped out at the BAM Gala 2018 on May 30, 2018, in New York City with a short new haircut. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Brooklyn Academy of Music)

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Michelle Pfeiffer is also set to appear in the film as part of her busy return to acting full-time after spending years only occasionally working and putting her emphasis on raising her own children. It would make perfect sense for Pfeiffer to play Lawrence’s mother, but, again, we’re just guessing here.

The film also stars Ed Harris, Kristen Wiig (reportedly in a small part) and real life brothers Domhnall and Brian Gleeson, though no information is available for what characters they play either.

The film’s IMDB page (which isn’t necessarily always accurate) does however list character description for bit-part actors. Amongst the roles listed are “pervert,” “creep,” “sex slave,” “tourist,” “thief,” “protestor,” “fan,” “paparazzi #2,” “refugee,” “Autograph seeker #1,” “rave dancer” and “son.” Which might point to the idea that themes of sex, celebrity and politics are heavily involved, but, again, who knows.

Mother! will be Aronofsky’s first film since his 2014 biblical epic Noah, and certainly seems to promise a return to his less holy-themed work like Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream.

Further updates with more possible clues:

Related: Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence Became Friends in the Most Millennial Way

Dear Jennifer Lawrence, 2016 Was the Year You Ruled the Red Carpet

Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California, January 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Versace at the Golden Globes after party in Beverly Hills, California, January 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Stella McCartney at the Academy Awards nominees lunch in Beverly Hills, California, February 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Couture at the Oscars in Los Angeles, California, February 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Alexander Wang at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California, February 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Naeem Khan at the Dinner for Equality in Beverly Hills, California, February 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Altuzarra at the CinemaCon screening of Passengers in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Couture at the premiere of A Beautiful Planet in New York, New York, April 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Oscar De La Renta at the Viceland premiere of Gloria Steinem’s Woman in New York, New York, May 2016. Photo by Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior at a screening of X-Men: Apocalypse in London, England, May 2016. Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior at a photocall for Passengers in Paris, France, November 2016.

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Jennifer Lawrence in 3.1 Phillip Lim at a photocall for Passengers in Madrid, Spain, November 2016.

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Jennifer Lawrence in Proenza Schouler at a photocall for Passengers in London, England, December 2016.

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Jennifer Lawrence in Dolce & Gabbana at a photocall for Passengers in Berlin, Germany, December 2016.

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Jennifer Lawrence in Burberry out and about in Soho in New York, New York, December 2016.

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Jennifer Lawrence in Altuzarra at a photocall for Passengers in Los Angeles, California, December 2016.

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Jennifer Lawrence in Dior at the premiere of Passengers in Westwood, California, December 2016.

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Jennifer Lawrence in Dior at the premiere of Passengers in Seoul, South Korea, December 2016.

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