Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological horror film[4][5] directed by Darren Aronofsky. The screenplay by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin is from a story by Heinz. It stars Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder. The plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City ballet company. The production requires a ballerina to play the innocent and fragile White Swan, for which the committed dancer Nina (Portman) is a perfect fit, as well as the dark and sensual Black Swan, which are qualities better embodied by the new arrival Lily (Kunis). Nina is overwhelmed by a feeling of immense pressure when she finds herself competing for the part, causing her to lose her tenuous grip on reality and descend into a living nightmare.