Mothers' Instinct: Cast with Anne Hathaway & Jessica Chastain, release date, trailer & how to watch

Mothers' Instinct starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain is coming to UK cinemas this week. The psychological thriller, set in the 1960s, follows the story of best friends Alice and Celine, whose friendship starts to unravel after a tragic accident leaves guilt and paranoia in its wake.

Speaking about starring alongside Hathaway, Chastain revealed in an interview for BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour that it was "difficult" to work with her on the project. Here's everything you need to know about Mothers' Instinct.

Mothers' Instinct is a adapted from the 2012 novel, Derriere le Haine (Behind the Hatred) by Barbara Abel. The story is set in the 1960s, with the studio behind Oscar winner Parasite behind the film adaptation. The official plot of Mothers' Instinct reads: "Housewives Alice and Celine are best friends and neighbours who seem to have it all. However, when a tragic accident shatters the harmony of their lives, guilt, suspicion and paranoia begin to unravel their sisterly bond."

In an interview with Vogue Hong Kong, Hathaway revealed it was the, "hardest role I have played", explaining: "It touched my worst fear and I almost backed out of the film because I didn’t know if I could go there as an actress."

Mothers' Instinct trailer

A trailer for the film has been revealed ahead of its release, you can watch it here.

Mothers' Instinct cast

A small but impressive cast, Mothers' Instinct stars Hathaway and Chastain as Alice and Celine. Their husbands are played by Josh Charles (The Good Wife) and Anders Danielsen Lie (The Worst Person In The World), with Caroline Lagerfelt (Gossip Girl) playing Chastain's mother-in-law.

What has Jessica Chastain said about acting with Anne Hathaway?

Chastain who stars alongside Hathaway in Mothers' Instinct has opened up about what it was like working together again on BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour. The pair have previously worked on Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.

Chastain said it was "difficult" to work with Hathaway due to their close friendship. She explained: "It was more difficult to play friends who have conflict in the story, especially when you care about the person so much."

She continued that she would "love to work with her where we don’t have an extreme conflict". Praising Hathaway's performance she added: "She’s really incredible and can just switch on a dime. You see actresses who have to rev it up for a long time, but she’s not like that. She’s professional, and once cameras roll she is able to conjure up this depth of feeling."

What has Anne Hathaway said about suffering a miscarriage?

Hathaway has opened up about suffering a miscarriage in 2015 whilst she had to play a pregnant woman in the one-woman off-Broadway show Grounded, which saw her act out going through childbirth. Speaking about the experience in an interview with Vanity Fair, Hathaway said her first pregnancy "didn't work out", explaining: "I was doing a play and I had to give birth on stage every night." She added that during the six-week show she "pretended everything was fine", but told friends the truth as it was, "too much to keep it in".

When can I watch Mothers' Instinct?

Mothers' Instinct will be available to watch in UK cinemas from Wednesday, March 27.

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.