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Review: ‘Mother Mary’ is a Pseudo-Spooky Tale that’s Neither Terrifying Nor Substantial
April 21, 2026Ben MK
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As a society, we've always been fascinated by the personal lives of celebrities. And when it comes to celebrities, who better to represent that elite demographic of the population than pop stars? Biopics aside, however, it's only fairly recently that that shared obsession has crossed over into the world of mainstream cinema, most notably in the horror genre. Whether it's Smile 2 or Trap, the pop star sub-genre in horror certainly appears to have piqued the interest of moviegoers. And with Mother Mary, writer-director David Lowery is seizing the moment to make his contribution to this niche Hollywood category, in this tale of a singer and her former collaborator who reunite for one last project, reopening old wounds and confronting their shared trauma and personal demons in the process. Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) is one of the hottest selling music artists on the planet, who appears to have it all. However, in spite of her millions of fans, behind the scenes she's emotionally tormented and on the verge of a psychological breakdown. Her former costume designer, Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), hasn't spoken to her in almost a decade, doesn't even listen to her music anymore, and has no intention of ever rekindling either their professional or personal relationship. But when Mother Mary suddenly shows up at Sam's London flat with a desperate request — to have Sam to create a bespoke outfit for her concert coming up in three days — Sam feels oddly compelled to explore that opportunity, even though she's already in the midst of preparing for her own high-profile fashion show. As the two women retreat to Sam's secluded farmhouse workshop to hash out the details of Mother Mary's urgent plea, they begin to open up to one another about the deep emotional — and sometimes physical — scars left behind from their falling out. Unbeknownst to them, they'll soon discover that they share more than just history, but also an eerie connection that borders on the realm of the supernatural. Call it what you will — whether it be a dream or a hallucination — but both Sam and Mother Mary seem to have been visited by the same spirit. Taking the form of a billowing, blood-red fabric, this entity made its presence known to Sam one night at the foot of her bed, yet also appeared to Mother Mary on several occasions, at one point causing her to take a nasty fall off a floating, mid-air stage. But what could this mysterious apparition want from either of them? And if it isn't a ghost, how could both Sam and Mother Mary have both independently witnessed it? As the night progresses, the conversation between the pair will eventually shift towards the inevitable — figuring out a way to draw this spirit out into the open and find out the answers to these questions once and for all. Yet, are Sam and Mother Mary ready for what they're planning to unleash? More importantly, will it provide them with the closure needed to exorcise the pain that has been haunting them? A chamber piece that lives and dies by the magnetism of Hathaway's and Coel's performances, the result starts off strong and self-assured, bolstered by Lowery's sharply written dialogue and original music by Jack Antonoff, FKA Twigs and Charli XCX. As this overly long exercise in abstract storytelling continues, though, it becomes increasingly apparent that this is one pseudo-spooky tale that lacks any sort of bite whatsoever. From the movie's thinly stretched plot to the way it asks audiences to ascribe meaning to the intentionally ambiguous, Mother Mary is sure to test the patience of the average moviegoer, even more so that Lowery's previous film, The Green Knight. Most frustrating of all, however, is horror aspect of the narrative, which is anything but terrifying and plays like a pale imitation of director Peter Strickland's 2018 haunted-dress tale, In Fabric. Make no mistake, viewers with a penchant for psychological horror might still find minimal merit in what Lowery has in store for them here, thanks in large part to the powerhouse portrayals from its two main stars. If you're looking for a movie whose narrative follows some semblance of logic and whose scares are actually worth being on the edge of your seat for, then you'll probably want to steer clear. Either way, fans of Hollywood's pop-star sub-genre will still want to give Mother Mary a chance, if only for the songs. Aside from that, this is one tale that, in terms of actual substance, is more akin to bubblegum pop than anything else. Mother Mary releases April 24th, 2026 from VVS Films. The film has an MPAA rating of R for some violent content and language. Its runtime is 1 hr. 52 min. |
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