Having previously appeared in both Lifechanger and For the Sake of Vicious, England-born actress Lora Burke returns to FrightFest with her new film Motherly. As well as marking her third film at the genre festival, Motherly also has the prestige of being the opening film for Discovery Screen One, one of two screens offering alternative horrific content to that on the Main Screen. Made during March 2020, right on the cusp of the pandemic, Motherly presents a corkscrew-twisting thriller that traverses the complexities of the maternal bond.
In Motherly, Burke plays stressed mother Kate who is living in police-monitored seclusion with her nine-year-old daughter Beth (Tessa Kozma) after testifying against her husband. Tensions are taut between the two, the closed-in environment causing friction and bad feelings. Burke and Kozma play the mother daughter dynamic beautifully, Burke tapping into her maternal instincts perfectly. Their relationship is an unexpectedly frank view of the day-to-day existence of being a parent. Kate throws her heart and soul into trying to make the best out of a bad situation, Beth however, ignores all attempts, lamenting her lack of an iPad birthday present, throwing Kate’s efforts back in her face. Having been cooped up with this attitude for a prolonged time, Kate is exhausted and her tiredness has led to a frayed temper that is only making their containment more toxic.
On top of everything, Kate is hiding a dark secret, and much like in Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, the pressure of the unspoken is weighing heavily upon her. Burke expertly conveys all of Kate’s nuances with a simple look or sigh, holding up a mirror to all the frazzled mums and dads out there. It’s exactly the brand of spot on acting that Burke has been pumping out for years and those that enjoy her performance here should definitely seek out her earlier project Poor Agnes. Burke’s performance is much more than a tired parent however, as people from the past invade Kate and Beth’s enforced sanctuary, upheaving their lives in the process. The intruders demand information that will only be unlocked by Kate revealing what she is trying to keep hidden. At this point, Burke switches gears, instantly becoming fierce lioness. Battlelines are quickly drawn, and as the film moves into this new arena, the tension that has already built thus far begins to grow exponentially more.
As expertly as the acting in Motherly is, the film does suffer from an issue with its narrative. Although the story relies heavily on its mysterious component, said component doesn’t quite have enough flesh on its bones. The revelation of Kate’s secret upon which the entire movie rely’s and focuses on is one that the savvy audience member will twig too early on. The thought-process behind the idea is sound, wonderfully dark and different, but the execution is clumsy. It’s massively disappointing, but luckily it doesn’t destroy the overall enjoyment of the piece. Burke masterfully captures the audience’s attention, skillfully distracting them away from the weaker aspects of the plot with a stunning portrayal of a mother on the edge.
For an indie production made on the cusp of a global pandemic, Motherly, through an incredible lead performance by Lora Burke, makes for fascinating viewing. Parents especially will uncover plenty of food for thought as they see aspects of themselves echoed back. A lot of hard work has obviously been poured into the piece, it’s just a shame that the core plot component around which the entire film is built is too transparent and flimsy.
Motherly
Summary
Maternal instincts form the focus of this expertly acted, but slightly undercooked, mystery thriller. Motherly will resonate with parents across the board as it poses the question of what and how far would you go to shield your child from the darker aspects of the world around them?
Motherly was reviewed at Arrow Video FrightFest.
