Hardly your run of the mill horror movie crowdpleaser, the Hulu Original “Clock” from writer-director Alexis Jacknow takes the genre to some unexpectedly interesting places. Adapting her own 2020 short film of the same name, Jacknow speaks to a number of compelling issues, exploring them through a horror framework in a way that can be genuinely disturbing.

“Clock” (which is Jacknow’s feature film debut) has a surprising thematic range. It takes on such topics as motherhood, childbirth, religion, peer pressure, and mental health in some cool yet weighty ways. Jacknow takes an interesting approach, starting her film with a satirical (and almost comical) bite. But the movie makes a pretty dramatic shift and the darker aspects of her story take over.

“The Clock” is anchored by a wonderfully committed lead performance by Dianna Agron who plays Ella Patel. She’s a smart and confident 37-year-old who has a successful career as an interior designer and a hunky husband named Aiden (Jay Ali) who adores her. Ella feels she has a wonderful life but there’s something missing (at least according to her gaggle of suburban mom friends and her hyper-opinionated Jewish father (Saul Rubinek).

You see, unlike her friends Ella hasn’t had a baby. In fact, she has never wanted to have children which blows the minds of her child-rearing peers. All they offer is unhelpful encouragement like “Don’t worry, your clock will kick in.” Meanwhile her father, who lost much of his family during the Holocaust, sees Ella’s position as an affront to their very history and heritage.

Caving to the notion that her biological clock is broken, Ella secretly pulls out of her dream job and enrolls in a clinical trial being conducted by a mysterious biotech firm at their remote facility. It’s led by Dr. Elizabeth Simmons (Melora Harden) who’s overseeing an intense and targeted 10-day study on “the cognitive side of fertility”. Rorschach tests, synthetic hormones, behavioral therapy – all meant to get Ella “realigned with her natural state”. What could possibly go wrong?

Well as it turns out everything. As mentioned the story takes some dark turns as the “study” takes Ella to some unsettling places within herself. There is some twisted imagery and a handful of gnarly scenes that I guarantee will make you squirm. Through it all Agron gives us a compelling lead character to latch onto. Her performance remains strikingly authentic even as things steadily get more surreal and unnerving.

As it slowly unfolds the film’s deeper thematic interests come more and more into focus. Jacknow uses her strange but engaging premise to pose a number of compelling questions. Storywise it does have a few holes and parts are simply too far-fetched to look past. Yet it never loses its emotional punch in large part thanks Agron’s performance and Jacknow’s ability to keep us engaged till the very end. “Clock” is now streaming on Hulu.

VERDICT – 3 STARS