Darren Aronofsky Thinks ‘mother!’ Is a Good Date Movie

Published on

September 22, 2017

Darren Aronofsky says that his controversial new movie mother! would be good to see on a first date.

The 48-year-old director has been speaking about the film to various news outlets this week, and on Friday, he conducted an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. One Reddit user commented saying that they went on a first date to see mother! and that it worked out because the girl is a cinema junkie but that it might not have worked out if she were more of a “casual film watcher.”

Aronofsky responded to this comment by saying that he actually thinks mother! is a great date movie because of the discussion it will generate.

“i think that’s a good answer,” Aronofsky wrote. “if watching this movie doesn’t lead to conversation the relationship won’t work out. so yes i think it’s a good date movie.”

Darren Aronofsky at a press conference for mother! | Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

mother! is already one of the most controversial American films to be released by a major studio in years, with most screenings prompting at least a few walkouts. This is mainly due to the extreme final half-hour, which culminates in a scene that is so shocking and upsetting that it’s guaranteed to generate a strong reaction. It’s also a movie about the abusive relationship between a man and a woman, and so all of this has led many to recommend steering clear of seeing mother! on a first date.

Jennifer Lawrence agrees with her boyfriend Darren Aronofsky on this, though, saying that seeing mother! and then going to get dinner afterwards would be a good date.

“I’ve thought about this,” Lawrence told MTV. “I actually think it would [make a good date movie], if you get dinner afterward. Because it’s a hell of a conversation piece, and you’ll learn a lot about the person.”

Jennifer Lawrence and Darren Aronofsky. | Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Though critics have embraced mother!, the overwhelming majority of moviegoers have not. The film received an F CinemaScore, which measures what average people think of the movie rather than just critics. Only 19 movies in history have ever received an F CinemaScore, and this rating typically indicates that audiences feel they were misled by the marketing. In this case, trailers for mother! suggested that it was a traditional horror-thriller, when it’s much more of an art film than was sold to the public.

But Darren Aronofsky doesn’t really mind the fact that so many people are hating the movie, as he always expected it to be divisive.

“we always knew when we made this movie that it was a strong cocktail,” Aronofsky wrote in his Reddit Ask Me Anything. “i think the response is exactly what we thought it would be.”