Mother Mary
April 22nd, 2026
MOVIE: MOTHER MARY
STARRING: ANNE HATHAWAY, MICHAELA COEL, HUNTER SCHAFFER
DIRECTED BY: DAVID LOWERY
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 112 MINUTES
The tagline for Mother Mary is “This Is Not a Ghost Story,” a phrase with a clever double meaning. First, David Lowery previously wrote and directed the much-discussed A Ghost Story. Second, it subtly pushes back against the expectations of what unfolds on screen. This is a film that resists definition- its meaning ultimately shaped by the viewer. Each person will interpret its abstract nature differently, and those varied interpretations are part of what makes it so compelling. At its core, the film explores celebrity, the pressures of performance, the influence of money on relationships, and the hypnotic states our minds can create.
The cast is intimate and focused. We’re introduced to the pop icon Mother Mary, played by Anne Hathaway, who once again proves her ability to command the screen. She emerges from behind a curtain, strutting down a runway while performing her hit song “Burial.” Her image is striking- often adorned with a radiant halo- evoking the spectacle of Taylor Swift and the mystique of Lady Gaga. Yet behind the spectacle, cracks begin to show. In a moment of panic before a performance, Mary flees to seek out her friend and designer, Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), pleading for a new dress- and perhaps something deeper. She is searching for answers, for reinvention, for rebirth. What follows is an intimate journey of self-discovery.
At its heart, the film is a dissection of the relationship between two damaged individuals. Much of this unfolds through extended, emotionally raw conversations. Lowery’s direction transforms the settings into theatrical spaces, as if the characters are constantly performing- even in private. Sam reveals the pain of shaping Mary’s public persona without recognition, while Mary reflects on pivotal moments in her life, including a séance guided by Imogen (FKA Twigs), which leaves a lasting imprint on her psyche. Through these exchanges, both characters are stripped bare, offering a rare glimpse into their fractured inner worlds.
Interwoven throughout are fragments of Mary’s stage performances. The songs- written by Jack Antonoff and performed by Hathaway- add a hypnotic, almost surreal energy. The film straddles genres, functioning as both a contained drama and a psychological horror. While it invites comparisons to Smile 2 or Trap, Lowery avoids conventional scares. Instead, the horror lies in the emotional and psychological extremes artists endure, and the fragile bonds that can either fracture or heal under that pressure.
Ultimately, Mother Mary feels like a kind of spiritual experience- a meditation on art and the artist. Much like The Green Knight, Lowery places his protagonist on a deeply personal journey. Anchored by a mesmerizing performance from Hathaway- who fully inhabits the role through vulnerability, physicality, and presence- the film becomes something immersive and transformative. The result is a bold, mind-bending work that feels almost biblical in scale.
Amen.
3 ½ STARS
MOTHER MARY IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
