‘mother!’ Gets an F CinemaScore, Which Could Mean Trouble at the Box Office

“mother!” has accomplished a rare feat: the dreaded “F” CinemaScore. Darren Aronofsky’s new thriller starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem has earned largely positive reviews from critics, but its failing grade suggests that multiplex audiences might not take to its oddity as well — especially given that the film is in nearly 2,400 theaters.

Based in Las Vegas, CinemaScore surveys audiences every weekend to gauge their reactions to new movies and see what effect that might have on box-office returns; ballots have six questions. Other movies to earn the rare distinction are Steven Soderbergh’s “Solaris” remake, Andrew Dominik’s “Killing Them Softly,” William Friedkin’s “Bug,” and “I Know Who Killed Me” — so not exactly crowd-pleasers.

Still, it might not be so bad. Box Office Mojo reports that “mother!” has already earned $3 million and is on pace to earn $12 million over the entire weekend. That isn’t stellar, given its $30 million budget, but it does speak to the continued drawing power of one Ed Harris.