A blurb on the cover of the Blu-ray for Mothers’ Instinct praises it as “a love letter to classic Hitchcock”. That sets a high bar for the thriller.

Set in the US suburbs in 1960, best pals/housewives Celine Jennings (Anne Hathaway) and Alice Bradford (Jessica Chastain) seem to enjoy idyllic lives. Alice seems to miss her career as a journalist, but otherwise all appears right in their worlds.

This veneer shatters when a tragic accident befalls one of their children. Repercussions emerge that threaten relationships and the general peace in the neighborhood.

With two Oscar-winning actors as its leads, I hoped that Instinct would vault over the tall hurdle I mentioned in the first paragraph. Unfortunately, the end result flops.

For one, we get too many unnecessary plot complications right out of the gate related to Alice’s desire to return to work and Celine’s inability to bear a second baby. These pay off eventually but only in a clumsy manner that makes their awkward introduction in the first act even more problematic.

From there, Instinct becomes a slow burn – a really slow burn, as the story feels stuck in neutral for too long. Extended periods pass without any real development.

Eventually the screenplay slaps itself and realizes it needs to turn into a thriller. At that point, it goes into Bonkers Mode.

At its core, Instinct offers the bones of an effective psychological drama. As we see the characters unravel, we question their views of reality.

Unfortunately, Instinct evolves these elements in such a melodramatic manner that it loses points. Rather than follow a gradual path that would make the audience wonder, it opts for easy and cheesy shifts.

These prompt eye-rolls more than tension. As the story gets kookier, it becomes less and less interesting.

As much as I like Hathaway and Chastain, neither can do much with their flawed roles. While it wants to get under the viewer’s skin, instead Instinct just causes annoyed exasperation.

Mothers’ Instinct appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Expect a terrific presentation of the film.

At all times, sharpness looked strong. Nary a sliver of softness impacted this tight image.

No signs of jagged edges or shimmering appeared, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws failed to occur.

Instinct came with a highly stylized palette than emphasized teal/blue and amber. Within those constraints, the colors seemed well-rendered.

Blacks felt deep and dense, while shadows seemed smooth and concise. I felt totally pleased with the image.

As a character drama, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 of Instinct lacks particular impact. While it kicks to life a little on occasion, it mostly remains low-key.

Which seems fine, as a story like this didn’t need a whiz-bang mix. Scenes at gatherings or on streets came with a little zing, but they didn’t add much of an impression.

Audio quality worked fine, with speech that came across as distinctive and concise. Music appeared rich and full.

Effects lacked much to do, but they remained accurate and without distortion. Despite its subdued nature, the soundtrack suited the story.

The disc opens with ads for Longlegs and Cuckoo. No trailer for Instinct or any other extras appear here.

As a stab at a retro psychological thriller, Mothers’ Instinct fails to connect. It lacks consistency and seems more eye-rolling than impactful. The Blu-ray boasts excellent visuals as well as acceptable audio but it lacks supplements. Given the presence of two talented leads, Instinct winds up as a messy disappointment.