Adore -2013- ((exclusive)) Jun 2026

In the post-#MeToo era, Adore is a difficult watch. The power dynamics—a parent over a child—are inherently coercive, no matter how "consenting" the 20-something sons appear. Yet, the film refuses to moralize. It presents the situation, shows the wreckage (the boys become violent, the women become isolated), and ends on a note of tragic, unresolved longing.

Directed by Anne Fontaine ( Coco Before Chanel ) and based on Doris Lessing’s 2003 novella The Grandmothers , the film known internationally as Adore (also released under the titles Two Mothers and Perfect Mothers ) arrived in theaters with a quiet fury. Starring two of the most respected actresses of their generation—Naomi Watts and Robin Wright— Adore deliberately walked a tightrope between high art and taboo exploitation. A decade later, the film remains a fascinating, uncomfortable, and visually stunning artifact worthy of a long, hard look. adore -2013-

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At its heart, the movie is a "painful examination" of a deep, symbiotic bond between two women that survives even the most extreme circumstances. It presents the situation, shows the wreckage (the

Lil and Roz do not just love their sons; they adore them in the archaic sense of the word—to regard with an awe that often borders on fear and possession. They adore the boys because the boys are extensions of their own youth, their lost husbands, and their unrealized dreams. When Lil looks at Ian, she sees the 20-year-old version of Roz’s husband. When Roz looks at Tom, she sees the protector she never had. The film argues that this "adoration" is a form of stunted emotional development—a refusal to let go of the maternal role even as it morphs into a sexual one.

Visually, Adore is a masterpiece of atmosphere. The cinematography by Christophe Beaucarne bathes every frame in a golden, nostalgic light. The Australian seaside becomes a character in itself—a liminal space where the rules of the real world seem to dissolve in the salt spray. The women swim, they surf, they drink wine on balconies. It is a life of privilege and beauty, creating a cocoon that insulates them from the inevitable judgment of the outside world.

The catalyst is a beach conversation. Lil, still stunning and fit, jokes to Roz about how the boys have become “men-who-live-next-door.” Within days, the line is crossed. Lil begins a secret, passionate affair with Roz’s son, Ian. Heartbroken and vengeful—yet also curious—Roz retaliates by seducing Lil’s son, Tom. What follows is not a simple erotic thriller about blackmail, but a slow-burning, four-way psychodrama about codependency, narcissism, and the refusal to grow old.