After viewing commercials for a ballet-themed psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, I was eager to see “Black Swan” – but I didn’t quite realize what I was about to experience.

“Black Swan” starts by depicting Portman as Nina, an endearing and innocent ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life is consumed by dance. The company’s artistic director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), is opening a new production of the play “Swan Lake” which means forcing current Swan Queen, Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) into an unsought retirement resulting in her demise.

“Swan Lake” is a ballet about a girl who is turned into a swan, the White Swan. Only her true love can break the spell that has caused this to happen but her malevolent twin, the Black Swan, seduces her true love and steals him away. After losing all hope, the White Swan kills herself.

The Swan Queen requires someone who can dance the part of the angelic White Swan as well as that of the dark, enticing Black Swan and Nina’s determination wins her the part. Unfortunately, Nina’s strive for perfection causes an already troubled girl to spin out of control.

Nina discovers competition in Lily (Kunis) as she has the natural ability to portray the Black Swan, a quality which Nina lacks. And although Nina believes that Lily is trying to steal her part in the ballet, whether or not a rivalry actually exists between the two is debatable as much of the film is Nina’s paranoia due to stress from her lead role and need for perfection. Despite what Nina thinks about Lily, they form an unusual friendship as Lily and Nina begins exploring a darker side of herself, the black swan inside.

Throughout the movie, I was going back and forth between staring at the screen, completely enticed, to covering my eyes, completely terrified and disgusted. The movie is passionate, but graphic and therefore not made for the squeamish. Of course, don’t think that means that I didn’t love it.

The plot is crazy, intense, and at times somewhat confusing. Portman commands the screen with impeccable acting. In fact, the entire cast is fantastic which probably takes a part in why it’s a prime choice for an Oscar nomination. It’s an amazing film and definitely worth seeing.

Director Darren Aronofsky is known for creating films that are beautifully disturbing while walking a thin line between madness and genius which is a perfect way to describe “Black Swan” in its entirety.