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As a part of Hulu's Halloween celebrations, the new horror film from the network Matriarch premiered on Friday, October 21, 2022. The delightfully dark take on a British village engulfed in a distinctly unsettling atmosphere made the film worth noticing. Moreover, it had some great performances from some great actors like Jemima Rooper and Kate Dickie.
From the director Ben Steiner, who also wrote the film, this film was an honest attempt at the easily predictable genre, combining elements of childhood trauma, folk tales, and a certain Wicker Man vibe; the film has every right to be taken seriously by viewers and critics alike. All of it was aided by beautiful filmmaking that has the potential to creep out the viewers, if not scare them.
Disclaimer: This article expresses the author's views on the movie Matriarch.
Matriarch review: Strained mother-daughter relationship as metaphorical horror
Matriarch is not the freshest take on the genre, and no one is to blame for that. As intriguing as "horror" sounds, the entire genre suffers from predictability. Even gems like Midsommer can be traced back to other folk horrors like The Wicker Man, and so can this film. But with that weakness in mind, Steiner still managed to carve out a compelling tale, something that had the potential to stand out.
At only one and a half hours, the film is not difficult to watch unless some black blood gore grosses you out. The film's world-building is fluid, fast, and useful. The opening scene sees a naked man enter a pond, and from there, things are never not creepy. Subtle camera movements and thinly prominent background score deserve much credit for this. Matriarch is so technically proficient that it aptly covers up any major flaws that may have surfaced otherwise.
At the core of the story is a crisis that many viewers will relate to. Essentially, it is a story of abusive parenting. It talks about a selfish mother and a daughter's emotional scars. It is emotional abuse bought out in the form of body horror. The film is clever through and through, one of the factors that most horror films of recent times lack.
One of the biggest achievements of Matriarch is how well it manages to hold on to the tone. One essential piece of horror filmmaking is not letting viewers' attention ponder around, and Matriarch succeeds in that. Its creepy atmosphere, sudden gushes of body horror, and some fascinating frames make the film very even.
The film's climax is substantially interesting and features good sequences, but it feels a little rushed compared to the rest of the film. Perhaps it is not the rushed feeling that is so aversive, rather it is the quickly reached resolution. The film built the tension slowly and steadily but resolved it rather hurriedly.
Apart from the rushed but full conclusion, the film was every bit of a good horror film and would work as an ideal binge before or during Halloween.
