The unnamed character (“Her”) has taken on the challenging task of renovating a house from the ashes. Grand Designs, it is not. She doesn't have much care for anything beyond these four walls: no friends, no phone signal...they live an idyllic life in peace. The house she shares with her poet older husband (also nameless and known as "Him" or "The Poet". Ooer.) is still very much a work in progress, but it's alive and even reminded me of the creepy animation Monster House (2006). Brick by brick, she restores it with love and eventually spins a new meaning on the phrase, "if these walls could talk."

The weird events begin with a lost doctor (Ed Harris), and then his wife (a brilliant scene-stealing Michelle Pfieffer) and then their sons - it's like the AirBnB hosting you never ever want. It all plays out like a mystery, with a bit of horror and supernatural, but Aronofsky's not finished yet. Hell, he's not even getting started. Suddenly he pulls the rug from under the idyllic and we're thrown into something else entirely. You can view the house as a metaphor, you can view motherhood as a metaphor...but what you actually see on screen is just plain nuts and gets progressively so. The underlying thing is just poor Jennifer Lawrence whose script mainly comprises of "I got it", "don't touch that", or "please can you leave?", plus variations. But yeah, basically just that. You'd think that's a spoiler but it still doesn't give much away. But why doesn't anyone agree with this!? Is it paranoia? Devotion? Obsession? An absurd nightmare? All I know is that at one point the only thing I could scribble into my notebook was, "WTF!?". F stands for "film", of course.

With a film that has placed much attention on its two award-winning leads, you'll always wonder if the casting paid off. For Bardem, he oozes dark mystery and this all-round edgy creepiness, but is that just me being mean about his face? He's spot on. For Lawrence, she's got a slightly creepy doll-like feel about her too. She puts her heart and soul into this performance and it may be her toughest role to date, but sometimes it's just whimpering and looking shocked and you'll wish for more depth (which you'll get). The camera follows her face like a hawk, and despite her limited theme of dialogue, the Oscar-winning actress puts her talents to good use.

When I attended the screening, drinks were provided afterwards - not because you'll need liquid therapy as a result of watching, but rather it's a film that demands discussion and sinking in. After all, Aronofsky chucks half the kitchen sink into that final act. It takes some time to digest a feast of a film like Mother! Apart from a few visual shocks and wildly wild imagery which I will definitely admit that I couldn't watch, most things are stomachable. This isn't an old-school horror, it's an attempt at something new. In fact, fans of the trailer and the staccato horror-filled violins will be surprised to hear that the film is rather different.

The surrealism will take a while to brew, and after all, it's experimental so I expect the responses will be different with every person. But a film like this is also cinematic marmite. Yes, you can marvel at how every scene is an intricate picture, a work of art. Also yes, you can also sit horrified at every excessive second of it. It's a rollercoaster for sure - the one with the drops that make your heart jump up and send butterflies of anxiety everywhere. But it's a thrilling but smart move from Aronofsky, one that's bound to have critics and audiences talking for the rest of the year (into awards season, perhaps?). And me? The girl who really can't do horror films? I think I may have to call my mum.

mother! is released in cinemas worldwide on Friday 15th September.

Watch the trailer here: