Pratik Handore
Hulu’s ‘Clock’ is a psychological thriller film that marks the feature film directorial debut of Alexis Jacknow. It stars Dianna Agron, Melora Hardin, Saul Rubinek, and Jay Ali in the lead roles. The movie revolves around Ella Patel, a woman in her late 30s who desperately tries to fix her seemingly broken biological clock while under pressure from her friends, family, and society to have a child. The narrative is rooted in the real issues women face stemming from pregnancy and their biology but is supplemented with horror and thriller elements. As a result, viewers must wonder about the inspiration behind the film and whether ‘Clock’ is inspired by a true story or not.
The Inspiration Behind Clock
No, ‘Clock’ is not based on a true story. The film tells a fictional story written by Alexis Jacknow and explores several complex themes relating to pregnancy and the societal pressures women face. Jacknow started her career as an actress and is known for her performances in several films and television shows. Her credits include the 2014 horror film ‘Truth or Dare,’ and the acclaimed horror drama series ‘American Horror Story.’ Jacknow directed several short films and episodes of television shows before making her feature film directorial debut with ‘Clock.’
Jacknow wrote and directed a short film also titled ‘Clock,’ that deals with similar themes. However, the feature film is a new entity with original characters. In an interview, Jacknow revealed that her personal experiences inspired the film’s concept. “It’s a very personal story for me. It’s tortured me for years, the decision about whether or not to have children, and I felt a tremendous amount of pressure from friends, family, society, (and) my culture,” Jacknow told Coming Soon about the genesis of the film’s story.
“I’m a Jewish woman, and there are things that come with that that feel like a pressurized situation when it comes to motherhood as well,” she added. From Jacknow’s words, it is evident that her first-hand experience with the societal pressures of becoming a mother formed the basis of the film’s concept. However, Jacknow wanted to explore these experiences in a hyper-reality with horror and thriller elements.
Although Jacknow’s life inspires the character of Ella Patel and aspects of her personality, she is a fictional character. Her story uses horror as a metaphor to explore the complex emotional conflict at the heart of the narrative. “People tune in for horror, and horror is just a wonderful vessel to get out social messaging,” Jacknow said in a separate interview. The writer-director also stated that the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged her to tell a story about human autonomy, making it a timely and relevant conversation piece.
The film sheds light on Tokophobia, a pathological fear of pregnancy, which is a relatively unexplored topic in modern media. Furthermore, it uses horror elements to showcase the main character’s psychological battles, raising some poignant questions about the neglect of women’s mental health. The mental health aspects are juxtaposed against the biological nature of a woman’s body as the narrative explores how Ella’s nature changes because of her biological clock while she is under pressure to become a mother before time runs out.
As mentioned above, the movie’s themes are universal and emotionally resonate with the audiences. Ultimately, ‘Clock’ is not based on any real events but feels like a deeply personal and intimate movie because of its subject material. It dives deeper into a woman’s psyche and explores the horrors of societal pressures that force women into pregnancy. As a result, certain elements are disjointed from reality to accurately represent the main character’s state of mind. However, the narrative’s emotional core keeps the movie grounded and relatable for the viewers.
Read More: Where is Clock (2023) Filmed?
