Mothers' Instinct is a psychological thriller that digs deep into the fragile boundaries between friendship, grief, and suspicion. Set in the 1960s, the film follows two close neighbors, Alice and Céline, who appear to live idyllic suburban lives with their husbands and children. Their bond seems unbreakable until a tragic accident shatters their world, planting seeds of doubt and mistrust that slowly grow into something far darker.
What begins as shared sorrow quickly twists into paranoia. Alice starts to suspect that Céline may not be as innocent or supportive as she seems, while Céline interprets Alice’s behavior as increasingly erratic and threatening. The once warm relationship between the two women becomes a dangerous battle of wills, with each step fueled by grief, obsession, and the instinct to protect what they hold most dear.
Visually, the film leans into the polished yet unsettling atmosphere of mid-century domestic life, where the picture-perfect setting masks an undercurrent of dread. The tension is psychological rather than overt, relying on small gestures, piercing silences, and the unspoken weight of guilt.
Mothers' Instinct asks an uncomfortable question: how well do we ever truly know the people we trust most? As fear erodes friendship, the story spirals into a chilling exploration of human vulnerability and the destructive power of suspicion.
