Mother Mary Review 

A Gothic Collision of Emotion and Opposing Forces

Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel are captivating opposites in a new gothic, symbolic show of emotion and art in A24’s Mother Mary. The two have an aura about their performances that pulls you into every scene they share. Coel’s sorrowful moon energy matches Hathaway’s dying star in a dramatic psychological and emotional adventure, heralded by a powerful all-women-led cast. Director David Lowery has crafted a bold and physical look into the colourful and complex life of a showgirl.

A Pop Icon Unravelling Beneath the Spotlight

Pop icon Mother Mary, played by the illustrious Anne Hathaway, gears up for her big comeback performance after a public near-death incident on stage. Unfortunately for Mother Mary, something is just not right. Her attire for the big night just isn’t her—shocking, considering Mary—and beneath that lies something else haunting the singer. That’s where the powerhouse that is Michaela Coel introduces the spurned legendary designer Sam Anselm, Mary’s estranged best friend and former costume designer. The film begins with a slow pull into its meatier scenes, but the reduced pace fits well to set up the story and establish the tension of shared history between Mary and Sam. Both of these women are experiencing the same “ghost” in their shared yet contrasting ways—night and day—yet that striking difference is exactly what holds it together. FKA Twigs and Hunter Schafer are both given their proper moments to shine. Twigs boldly intertwines herself alongside Hathaway in a ritualistic and deeply personal manner, while Schafer beautifully closes the curtain on the story as Sam’s assistant, Hilda, with her whimsical and wondrous sense of hope.

An unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Hathaway and Coel in Mother Mary are sheer powerhouses that demand to be seen. The hypnotic pair hurl their talents through their characters’ unique vulnerabilities and give their performances a growing potency that lasts right up to the film’s powerful end.

Anne Hathaway Delivers a Career-Defining Performance

Anne Hathaway delivers one of her career bests. Mother Mary is a shaken character—there’s an exhaustion to her that is blatant and heavy from the very first scene we see her in. Anne shares a deep vulnerability within herself with audiences, bringing to life the emotional and physical challenges of being a pop icon, and one so intertwined with the art and relationships that surround her. Hathaway gives herself over to the narrative completely, creating a passionate and engaging display of her talents.

Michaela Coel Commands the Screen with Sharp Vulnerability

Michaela Coel is sharp and outspoken in her role as designer Sam Anselm, and yet that changes nothing of her own vulnerability. Her walled inner search is the perfect performance match opposite a more obvious display of turmoil in Mary. Coel is irresistible on screen and commands a presence that spotlights her and every word she speaks. Just like her counterpart, Coel gives audiences a career-best performance that is sure to be praised.

Body Horror as Art and Transformation

The deliberate use of physicality and body contortion from Hathaway, Coel, FKA Twigs, and the entire background cast tells its own story. The body horror is an art within the film on its own, but it is also interesting to watch it take on a real manifestation of itself. The use of women’s bodies as a message to how women in these positions—especially pop stars—give themselves both mentally and physically to their audience in order to create art, and how that takes a toll on them. After Sam is spurned by Mother Mary, her pain and anger quite literally bleed from within her, transforming into the ghost that latches itself onto Mary, leaving a shared open wound that can only be closed by the coming together of these two powerful and opposite forces.

Symbolism Through Costuming

Costume designer Bina Daigeler does truly remarkable work with the designs within the film—they’re campy and the perfect visual stimulation for the themes of the film. The symbolic blood-red dress Mother Mary is draped in at the end of the film is designed exclusively by Iris van Herpen.

A Living Stage of Memory Through the Human Psyche 

The set transitions and their in-narrative presentation thereafter are reminiscent of a Broadway play. Something that I particularly loved was that the majority of the film is told within the confines of Sam’s design house—a sort of reimagined bottle episode—but in this sense, a walk back through the complex and shifting turns of the human psyche. In a construct of vibrant and dramatic set design, infused with the iconography of Catholic mysticism, the room itself transforms around Mary and Sam’s journey through their past almost ritualistically. The sets are unique and bold, sometimes large and sweeping or small and intimate, all illuminated by purposeful light. Production designer Francesca Di Mottola truly does something extraordinary here.

Sound and Music That Stands on Its Own 

Composer and performer Daniel Hart’s work on this film is both singular and effective, taking thunderous directions with sound that almost takes on a life of its own. This is accompanied by original songs from Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX, and FKA Twigs that are sure to be standalone staples.

Not for Everyone, But An Unforgettable Journey for Those Who Love It

Some people won’t get this film, and it’s not a feature that will speak to absolutely everyone. However, those who do seek something special here are in for a truly artistic treat. At the end of the day, this is an A24 film after all, and David Lowery’s Mother Mary further extends their reputation for bold and unique narratives and a distinct style of storytelling.

Rating: ★★★★☆

A24’s Mother Mary by Director David Lowery, starring Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, and FKA Twigs, comes to theatres April 17.

— Rayano Riley

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