Overview
Rose Byrne delivers a powerful performance as a psychotherapist grappling with the pressures of parenting, portrayed alongside an impatient Conan O’Brien in this intense psychological horror-comedy.
This film explores postnatal depression and the isolating stress of parenthood, presenting a narrative reminiscent of the darker tones found in Eraserhead or Rosemary’s Baby. Unlike supernatural horror, the terror here stems from everyday childcare challenges and the overwhelming lack of time to address them. The story also delves into therapy and emotional transference when there seems to be nothing left to transfer. Mary Bronstein wrote and directed the film, with her husband Ronald Bronstein producing alongside Josh Safdie, whose influence from films like Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme is evident in the frenetic descent toward a mental breakdown.
Plot and Characters
Byrne stars as Linda, a psychotherapist whose husband is absent, leaving her to care for their sick infant daughter. The child’s face remains unseen until the film’s conclusion, symbolizing how the baby’s identity is overshadowed by the overwhelming nature of her care. The daughter is dependent on a feeding tube that must be transported constantly, especially to the day-care hospital. There, a brusque doctor, portrayed by Mary Bronstein in a cameo, oversees group therapy sessions that offer mild reassurances to the parents, emphasizing that their struggles are not their fault. However, Linda is reprimanded for missing appointments and for her daughter’s failure to gain sufficient weight to remove the feeding tube.
Linda suffers from severe depression, which she manages with marijuana, alcohol, and ineffective therapy sessions with her impatient colleague, played by Conan O’Brien. Their offices are adjacent, creating an almost claustrophobic professional environment. During these sessions, Linda exhibits behaviors as troubled as those of her patients, culminating in a quiet declaration to her colleague:
“I love you.”
Compounding her difficulties, Linda’s apartment suffers flooding through a large hole in the ceiling, which triggers Freudian dreams and visions. This forces her and her daughter to relocate to a run-down motel, where the superintendent James, played by A$AP Rocky, appears to be the only person showing genuine concern for Linda.
Performance and Themes
Byrne’s portrayal is exceptional, capturing the duality of a mother and therapist who must maintain composure despite unraveling internally. She inhabits a world of professional empathy, where caregivers are cautious not to become too involved to avoid being overwhelmed by others’ issues. The film incorporates dark humor, notably in scenes such as the distressing moment a hamster is run over, abruptly followed by a close-up of takeout food. Bronstein’s direction effectively conveys escalating panic and profound, consuming sadness.
