Psychological Thriller Nesting Opens in Drafthouse Theatres Nationwide May 26
Debuts on Streaming Platforms May 29
A bold and unflinching new voice in contemporary cinema arrives this spring with the release of Nesting, the debut feature from director Chloé Cinq-Mars. Starring Rose-Marie Perreault (Pénélope), Simon Landry-Desy (Gaspard), Saladin Dellers (Edward), Marie Bélanger (Charlotte), and Robin Picard and Bastien Picard as Baby Lou, the film will open in select Drafthouse Theatres nationwide on Tuesday, May 26, before launching on major streaming platforms on Friday, May 29.
“Blending psychological thriller elements with raw emotional realism, Nesting offers a deeply immersive portrait of motherhood pushed to its breaking point,” says Rich Wolff of Breaking Glass Pictures, the film’s distributor. The film follows Pénélope, a new mother grappling with the physical and psychological toll of childbirth, as her mental state begins to unravel under the weight of isolation, trauma, and relentless exhaustion. As reality fractures around her, the line between protector and predator blurs in a haunting descent that is as intimate as it is terrifying.
For Cinq-Mars, the story is rooted in lived experience. “It’s an extremely personal film into which I poured a lot of myself,” she explains. “After the traumatic birth of my first child and the months that followed, I experienced an overwhelming sense of isolation. I was in survival mode, and no one asked me about my mental health. That silence stayed with me.”
That silence—and the societal expectations surrounding motherhood—became the driving force behind Nesting. The film challenges the idealized portrayal of motherhood often seen in media, instead presenting an unvarnished look at its darker, rarely acknowledged realities. “We’re being sold a fairy tale,” says Cinq-Mars. “And when a mother’s experience doesn’t match that, she feels like she’s failed. I wanted to show everything we hide—the exhaustion, the fear, the physical toll—so that mothers feel seen rather than judged.”
At the heart of the film is a fearless performance by Rose-Marie Perreault, whose portrayal of Pénélope has already drawn critical acclaim. “She’s phenomenal; fearless, powerful, and deeply human,” Cinq-Mars says. “I needed someone who could embody both vulnerability and strength, someone you could love even in the darkest moments. She brought light to a character living through horror.”
To capture Pénélope’s psychological descent, Nesting employs a striking visual and sonic language. Fragmented editing, looping moments, and disorienting time shifts mirror the cyclical nature of postpartum depression and sleep deprivation. As the film progresses, its aesthetic becomes increasingly dreamlike, with heightened contrasts, surreal color palettes, and an evolving soundscape that blurs the boundary between reality and hallucination.
“We wanted the audience to feel what she feels,” Cinq-Mars explains. “The repetition, the confusion, the sense of being outside yourself. It’s not just about watching her experience. It’s about living it from within her mind.”
The film also explores the lingering impact of past trauma, as memories of Pénélope’s sister Charlotte intrude upon her already fragile psyche. These elements deepen the narrative’s emotional complexity while reinforcing its central themes of guilt, identity, and the duality of motherhood.
While Nesting embraces the tension and unease of a psychological thriller, its core remains grounded in empathy. “There’s a kind of ‘everyday horror’ in the postpartum experience,” says Cinq-Mars. “It’s normalized, but it’s also incredibly intense. I wanted to show that reality without sensationalizing it; just presenting it honestly.”
Beyond its cinematic ambition, Nesting serves as a powerful call for greater awareness and support for maternal mental health. “This film is absolutely a form of advocacy,” Cinq-Mars states. “Too often, mothers in distress are judged instead of helped. I want audiences to understand that these struggles are more common than we think, and that compassion is essential.”
Following successful festival screenings including Fantastic Fest, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Fantaspoa and the Fantasia International Film festival where Chloé Cinq-Mars won the “Northern Excellence award for Best Canadian Filmmaker”, Nesting has resonated with viewers across generations, from parents to younger audiences drawn to its genre-defying approach and exploration of mental health.
The distribution deal was negotiated between Miguel Govea and Brett Walker of Alief, the U.K.-France-based sales agency, and Rich Wolff for Breaking Glass Pictures.
Ultimately, Cinq-Mars hopes the film leaves a lasting impact. “I want people to look at mothers differently,” she says. “To see not just the baby, but the person caring for that baby. If the film can foster empathy, even in a small way, then it has done what it set out to do.”
Nesting will screen at the following Drafthouse venues on May 26: Austin (South Lamar), Boston (Seaport), Chicago (Wrigleyville), DFW (Denton and Richardson), Denver (Sloans Lake), Laredo, Los Angeles (DTLA), New York City (Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, Yonkers), Raleigh, San Antonio (Park North), the San Francisco Bay Area (Mountain View, New Mission, Valley Fair), Twin Cities (Woodbury), and Indianapolis.
Nesting begins streaming on major platforms May 29
