10 Most Disturbing Movies About Motherhood, Including Die My Love

Lynne Ramsay’s new film, Die My Love, explores the complexities of motherhood and marriage, and touches on issues of mental health. These themes – including postpartum depression and the pressures faced by mothers – have been depicted in movies for a long time.

Great movies about mothers often feature strong actresses playing women dealing with difficult personal and societal challenges, sometimes even struggling with their own mental health and fighting to reclaim their independence. Now, with the recent praise for Die My Love, here’s a look at some of the most unsettling films that explore the complexities of motherhood.

Die My Love (2025)

Jennifer Lawrence stars in Die My Love, the latest film to explore the challenges of marriage and motherhood. The movie, directed by Ramsay – known for similar themes – follows Grace and Jackson as they relocate to his childhood home and start a family.

The movie centers on a young mother battling postpartum depression and feeling isolated in her new town. As Grace and her partner, Jackson, both struggle with the challenges of parenthood and their relationship, Grace’s condition leads to a more severe emotional crisis.

Reviewers loved the film for realistically portraying a frequently overlooked perspective, though general audiences found it confusing due to its disjointed and unsettling style. Many believe this unconventional approach is actually what makes the film so good, and Jennifer Lawrence is receiving accolades for her acting.

Grace (2009)

The horror film Grace explores the darker side of motherhood, using supernatural elements to represent the challenges of postpartum depression and the feeling that a child consumes a mother’s energy and identity. It draws a comparison between a baby’s needs and a vampire’s thirst, suggesting both can be draining forces in a mother’s life.

The film starts with a tragic car crash that claims the life of a woman’s husband and their unborn child. Despite this, she chooses to continue with the pregnancy, and remarkably, the baby is born alive. But things quickly become terrifying when the infant develops an insatiable need to feed on blood, plunging the story into horror.

This low-budget horror film is a standout, largely thanks to Jordan Ladd’s fantastic performance as the mother. The story feels like a blend of classic horror films – think Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, with a touch of Dracula inspiration.

Mother! (2017)

Jennifer Lawrence had explored the theme of motherhood in film before Die My Love. In 2017, she starred in Darren Aronofsky’s unusual movie, mother!, which sparked very strong and divided reactions from both critics and viewers.

Javier Bardem plays a poet known only as “Him,” whose wife, called “Mother,” is expecting their first child and inspires his work. Their peaceful life is disrupted when a group of strangers arrive and, after being invited in, simply refuse to leave. While “Him” appears unbothered by their presence, “Mother” becomes increasingly distressed as the strangers attempt to take control of her pregnancy.

Look, this movie is definitely dense, but Jennifer Lawrence has explained it’s meant as a powerful allegory. She sees it as a representation of how we, as a society, are essentially harming and exploiting the Earth – and she is Mother Earth in the film. And, interestingly, she portrays the character ‘Him’ as a stand-in for God. It’s a bold interpretation, but it definitely adds another layer to what’s happening on screen.

A Mouthful Of Air (2021)

Released in 2021, A Mouthful of Air is a psychological drama starring Amanda Seyfried as Julie, a young mother. The film begins with a difficult scene: Julie survives a suicide attempt on her son’s first birthday. While she’s recovering, she attempts to focus on the positive, but continues to struggle with anxiety.

Becoming pregnant again forces her to confront the difficult experiences of her own childhood, believing it’s essential for her and her children’s well-being. Although the film wasn’t successful in theaters, that was largely due to its release during the pandemic when audiences were hesitant to watch heavy or depressing stories, given the already challenging times.

Despite its flaws, A Mouthful of Air powerfully portrays the challenges of trauma and motherhood, largely thanks to Seyfried’s incredibly honest and moving performance. She avoids overly dramatic acting, instead delivering a realistic depiction of the impact of depression and anxiety on new mothers.

We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)

Lynne Ramsay, known for directing “Die My Love,” presented a unique take on motherhood in her 2011 film, “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” Unlike stories focusing on postpartum trauma, this film centers on a mother dealing with a teenage child who commits a shocking act.

The film centers on Tilda Swinton’s character, a mother struggling to cope after her son, Kevin (Ezra Miller), commits a horrific school shooting – following earlier acts of violence against his own family. She’s left searching for answers and grappling with her emotions, while the community unfairly blames her for the tragedy.

The film weaves between past and present, showing Eva and her husband raising their son, Kevin, and hinting at the guilt she may feel regarding his troubling behavior later in life. It’s a disturbing but ultimately powerful story about a mother’s love and the mystery of a son’s actions – a difficult film, but a worthwhile one.

Us (2019)

Get Out is a horror film directed by Jordan Peele. It centers around a hidden underground world where people have exact duplicates of those living above. The story unfolds when these duplicates emerge and start targeting their originals, with the goal of stealing their identities and lives.

Lupita Nyong’o stars in Us as a mother fiercely dedicated to protecting her family when terrifying doppelgängers begin to stalk them. But the movie has a shocking twist that reveals things aren’t what they appear. While it’s a story about motherhood, the film leaves you questioning who the true antagonist really is.

Though not quite as popular as his hit film Get Out, Us was still highly praised by critics. It earned a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and reviewers lauded it as a compelling story exploring themes of oppression and the complexities of the American family.

Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022)

Huesera: The Bone Woman is a uniquely unsettling and little-known film exploring the terrors of motherhood. This Mexican-Peruvian horror movie centers on a pregnant woman facing danger from supernatural forces, and it’s a must-see for fans of the genre.

This film feels reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby, but leans more heavily into body horror. The pregnant woman experiences increasingly disturbing nightmares that connect to her condition. Ultimately, she’s faced with a difficult decision and decides she doesn’t want to keep the baby.

The film has received high praise from critics, earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers described it as intensely frightening and a darkly unconventional look at pregnancy, exploring the idea that motherhood can, at times, feel overwhelming and even terrifying. It achieves this through unsettling visuals and themes.

Hereditary (2018)

Like many films, ‘Hereditary’ centers on a mother grappling with deeply upsetting events. However, this trauma unfolds as her children are already growing up. Annie, played by Toni Collette, experiences the tragic loss of her daughter, which leads her to unfairly blame and distance herself from her son, ultimately tearing her family apart.

Ari Aster’s film explores the devastating impact of trauma and how a single tragedy can push a mother to her breaking point. While incorporating occult elements, the story also focuses on a family whose actions ultimately contribute to the mother’s descent into despair.

Critics loved Hereditary, giving it a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. They especially praised its unsettling, gradually building horror and how the death of one family member unravels the lives of everyone else, leaving the mother desperately trying to make sense of things when it’s already too late.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Roman Polanski’s most famous film is the 1968 horror movie, Rosemary’s Baby. It stars Mia Farrow as Rosemary, a woman who moves into a new apartment with her husband, only to discover that their neighbors are strangely fixated on her. When she becomes pregnant, she begins to fear for her safety.

The story reveals she’s pregnant with the Antichrist, a result of a demonic assault following a deal her husband made with a cult. Essentially, it’s a story about a woman losing control of her own body and having no power over what happens to her.

In the final moments of Rosemary’s Baby, Rosemary notices something unsettling about her baby’s eyes and understands, too late, that she may have given birth to a destructive force. Her decision to stay with the baby anyway demonstrates her acceptance of her difficult destiny as a mother.

The Babadook (2014)

The horror movie The Babadook asks viewers to interpret its meaning, which can be challenging for audiences used to more straightforward stories. Directed by Jennifer Kent, the film centers on a mother and son who are frightened by a terrifying creature called the Babadook.

The film hints that the Babadook isn’t a real monster, but rather a symbol that can be understood in different ways. Many viewers see the Babadook as representing a mother’s overwhelming and unmanaged grief. This family has been struggling with the loss of their husband and father for years, and each member is coping with the pain in their own way.

This story primarily explores how a mother can guide her child through grief and trauma in a healthy way. It emphasizes that a mother must address her own emotional pain before she can effectively teach her child resilience. Ultimately, it portrays the difficulties and complexities inherent in motherhood, as seen in many films about the subject.

2025-11-15 20:01