Matriarch is a 2022 American horror film written and directed by Ben Steiner and starring Jemima Rooper and Kate Dickie.[1]

Matriarch
Directed byBen Steiner
Written byBen Steiner
StarringJemima Rooper
Kate Dickie
Distributed byHulu
Release date
  • October 21, 2022 (2022-10-21)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Synopsis

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At breaking point after a near fatal overdose, a woman returns home to confront her childhood traumas, and her mother.

Cast

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Release

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The film was released on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2022.[2]

Reception

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The film has an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews.[3] Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting awarded the film two and a half "skulls" out of five.[4] Mary Beth McAndrews of Dread Central awarded the film three and a half stars out of five.[5]

Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times gave the film a negative review and wrote, "But none of how Matriarch resolves is particularly scary or surprising. The finale — filled with dark, barely legible imagery — is a letdown both visually and dramatically."[1]

Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Steiner’s film shrewdly shifts back and forth between the real physical threat of dark supernatural forces and the more elusive harm done by a lifetime of bad parenting."[6]

Martin Unnsworth of Starburst also gave the film a positive review, calling it "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."[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kenigsberg, Ben (October 20, 2022). "'Matriarch' Review: Maternal Instincts". The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Unsworth, Martin. "MATRIARCH". Starburst. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  3. ^ "Matriarch". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  4. ^ Navarro, Meagan (October 21, 2022). "'Matriarch' Review – Hulu's Ambitious Folk Horror Movie Explores Diseased Family Roots". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  5. ^ McAndrews, Mary Beth (October 25, 2022). "'Matriarch' Is Ambitious Folk Horror [Review]". Dread Central. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  6. ^ Murray, Noel (October 21, 2022). "Review: What's scarier, supernatural forces or bad parenting?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
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