The first trailer for Jennifer Lopez’s new thriller, The Mother, hit online Tuesday (April 11), and it’s probably safe to say that the superstar entertainer has made a movie that is far from the romantic comedies she’s mostly known for in her film career. Even Enough pales in comparison to the physicality of this movie.
Directed by Niki Caro (Mulan), The Mother tells the story of a female assassin (Lopez) who comes out of hiding to protect the daughter (Lucy Paez) that she gave up years before.
The trailer begins with Lopez’s character giving birth to a baby girl at the same time as finding out that a botched mission she was on has cost the lives of seven FBI agents. An agent tells her that two notorious criminals are still on the loose and are likely to take revenge on her and her child.
“You and I both know, the only way you protect that child is to disappear,” the agent tells her. “They’ll find you. Both of you.”
Although it pains her to leave her baby behind, Lopez’s character takes the suggestion and vanishes to live her life alone in a snowy log cabin. Her daughter is adopted by a family and for 12 years, everything seems like it worked out for the best.
However, the two criminals, one played by a sinister-looking Gael García Bernal (Cassandro) and the other by Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale), have found her daughter, kidnapped her, and are hoping to use her to lure Lopez out of hiding to seek revenge. Now, Lopez must save her daughter and show her how to survive on her own.
Armed to the teeth and showing off an intimidating physique, Lopez looks ready to defend her child at whatever cost. “I’m a killer,” she says. “But I’m also a mother.”
The Mother premieres on Netflix on May 12, 2023.