In his short career to date as a director, very few have divided opinion quite like Darren Aronofsky. Some consider him a modern day visionary, whilst others see him as a peddler of pretentiousness. The truth probably lies somewhere in-between.

It just so happens that that same heady mix could also be used to describe this, his latest feature.

Out in the middle of nowhere live poet Him (Javier Bardem) and his partner mother (Jennifer Lawrence). Whilst he attempts to rediscover his writing mojo, she goes about working hard in bringing a grand house - that had recently burnt down - back to its former glory.

Then one day there’s a knock at the door, and a man (Ed Harris) introduces himself to the pair of them. He’s a surgeon now looking to concentrate on research, and he needs a room to stay. Oddly, so she thinks, her partner agrees to let him stay with them.

In the middle of the night, she is woken by a strange noise. After investigating, she sees their guest, naked, being ill over the toilet, with Him standing by his side. She enquires the next day if he’s OK, and both react as if everything is fine and that nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the middle of the night. Weird.

The fact that this man is now living under their roof irritates mother. This irritation is multiplied when a woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) knocks at the door. She is the man’s wife, and mother’s partner insists that the pair of them stay at their home.

The arrival of this curious couple acts as a catalyst for yet further strangeness to happen to mother, much of which not only can’t be explained, but also, in the eyes of Him, isn’t that strange.

With what seems like an open door policy of weirdness, mother becomes increasingly disturbed by the events transpiring, as her own safety becomes more and more in doubt.

Aronofsky’s Mother! is a film that really is more about the subtext than the main thread of the story, despite it often being difficult to separate the two. The film sets out to be a curious thriller, with mother’s position becoming increasingly threatened throughout, but by what? By the film’s final reel, it has transcended its trajectory and mutated into something else.

It’s here that the subtext is busy playing with our minds. There are religious allegories at play, that some will pick up easier than others. Either way it’s still mighty hard work to both follow and swallow.

Where the film excels, apart from some strong performances from all concerned, is where it quietly pays homage to Polanski’s classic 1968 classic Rosemary’s Baby. Mother’s journey closely echoes that of Farrow’s Rosemary, setting up home as they both do, with peculiar run ins with visitors, and both facing their particular personal hells.

It’s the final third that will leave many unsatisfied. And by many we mean mainstream audiences, who may have been sucked in by the A-listers on the marquee heading, and not quite expecting what they got. That’s no slur on them however, as it’s by no means a straightforward watch.

What it is though is deeply intriguing, but ultimately wholly unsatisfying. Yes, Aronofsky knows what to do with a camera, but with such a heavy whiff of matriarchal pretentiousness, this may not be one for the family album.