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Matriarch premiered on Hulu as part of the Halloween festivities on October 21, 2022. The Ben Steiner film was an ambitious effort in the right direction, bringing in a compelling horror film that could easily unsettle viewers to a great extent, if not scare them with its eerie atmosphere, beautiful pace, and very well-done body horror elements.
Described as "folk horror," Matriarch was hardly the simplest of films. Dealing with a metaphor of abusive parenting and an emotionally abusive childhood, while also navigating through the folklore of a British village, the film was by far one of the cleverest and most intriguing horror films of the year. Moreover, it was honest to the core. Though the ending was quick after a significant amount of time building it up, it had big revelations, completely twisted plot lines, and a satisfying conclusion.
Matriarch ending- Who was Laura?
Laura (Jemima Rooper) was depicted as a character who lived a high life in the city, worked at a prestigious job, and nearly ruined herself with her self-destructive tendencies. This forced her to return to her hometown, which she left behind a long time ago. However, on going back, she realized that there was something very wrong with the village and the people.
After significantly struggling with the weird behavior of her mother Celia (Kate Dickie, a master of evil roles) and her physical issues (like the black hand), Laura finally discovered something shocking after witnessing a scarring ritual, where the villagers were drinking blood from her mother's breasts. This made her realize that her mother is the leader of the cult. This also explained all the odd occurrences around the village, like old people not dying and others not aging.
It is revealed that the source of Celia's powers is a goddess trapped in their greenhouse. Celia also revealed that her husband sacrificed himself to the goddess after being unable to have a child with Celia (a naked man walking into the water in the first scene).
The big revelation came with Celia telling Laura that she was the daughter of the goddess, and Celia planned to sacrifice Laura to her own mother to regain her powers. A power struggle began with Celia and Laura's friend trying to sacrifice Laura to the goddess in the final sequence, but the goddess, being Laura's mother, did not accept it. The altercation ended with Laura killing Celia with the stock of her gun.
By the end of Matriarch, it was revealed that the monster wasn't a monster at all. It was a goddess and drew a resemblance to real-life folklore from rural England. The final scene saw Laura getting into the pond, perhaps in a bid to sacrifice herself to the goddess and unite with her real mother. This sequence is just like the first scene of the film, where Laura's father walked into the pond.
The film ended with a satisfying conclusion and a powerful statement. It is sure to lighten up Halloween for many horror enthusiasts. Matriarch is now streaming on Hulu.
