Laura (Jemima Rooper), a seemingly respectable ad executive, finds her life spiralling out of control with a drink and drug problem. When she drops dead, she’s suddenly resurrected by a strange substance. Just as suddenly, her estranged mother, Celia (Kate Dickie), gets in touch. Against her better judgement, Laura travels to her old village to reconnect with her finding that she’s not aged. She also discovers more secrets than she’d like about her mother and her place in the community.
Matriarch is a slowly simmering powder keg of a film that mixes relatable human drama with a portion of Cronenberg mixed with a soupçon of The Devils. Kate Dickie is fantastic as the wayward mother whose abuse forced her daughter away and possibly caused her husband’s suicide. As writer/director Ben Steiner drip-feeds the mysteries of the village and Celia herself, Matriarch becomes as dense as the muddy marsh in which Laura’s father perished. An eerie atmosphere permeates almost every scene, and Steiner successfully plays up to folk horror traditions. As is often the case, a new religion has control of the village, but it goes far beyond pagan rituals.
As much as Celia is a bad mother (“I never hurt you… physically”), Laura is also an unlikeable character. This opens up the theme of nature and nurture that surpasses and subverts expectations. The connection between parent and child goes beyond blood, and while they certainly don’t bond, there is a symbiotic link that manifests as an ooze that begins to cover Laura’s skin.
The brooding build-up leads to a shocking and bloody climax, providing a satisfyingly fantastical payoff as the unexpected, true relationship is revealed.
Matriarch is streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK from October 21st. You can read our interview with writer/director Ben Steiner here.
