Film Review: ‘Mother Mary’ Finds Michaela Coel and Anne Hathaway Under the Cinematic Spell of David Lowery’s Haunting Psychological Tale

When you watch a David Lowery film, you know to expect a unique interpretation of whatever genre he’s operating within. With Mother Mary, Lowery is workin in the realm of the mystery/thriller, though in a way that defies convention. Early on, it’s hard to know exactly what is up his sleeve, so you just give yourself over to his filmmaking and vision. Eventually, it all becomes clearer, and you appreciate being in such confident hands, though for a bit, it can be touch and go. Still, to watch Lowery take his biggest swing to date is a treasure for cinephiles.

Mother Mary starts off with a bang, introducing us to some music, but once the narrative begins, things really slow down. In fact, some audiences might get a bit restless, so it pays to know that things lock in and do pick up. It’s a quiet and meditative work, though not without sudden jolts that, while not trafficking in horror, may well startle you. It’s ultimately a very psychological work, so there’s a discomfort that can brew inside you, intentionally so.

On the eve of her big comeback performance, iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) has run off. Hopping on a plane, she appears at the workshop of her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel). Ostensibly, she’s there because she needs a dress for the show. Of course, there’s much more to it than that. Why would a megastar ditch her entire team and vanish, especially in order to come back into the life of her former friend?

Sam is none too pleased to see Mary, as they had quite the falling out when she was cast aside. Nor is she thrilled to be asked to basically drop everything and craft a magnum opus dress in a matter of days. Still, Mary seems to be troubled by something, which has her attention. As the two work on the outfit, as well as their issues with each other, long-buried wounds rise up to the surface, revelations are made, and something potentially supernatural begins to reveal itself as well. It all builds to a climax that’s not what you’ll be expected, but proves to be exactly what the story requires.

Michaela Coel and Anne Hathaway play off of each other quite well, making the central part of the film their relationship, more so than any of the mysterious elements. Coel starts out cold and still bitter over how their friendship ended, allowing her character to slowly show more and more vulnerability. Hathaway gets to both show off her on stage moves, giving Mother Mary a bit of a Taylor Swift concert vibe, while showing how small she can be in real life, as opposed to the larger than life persona. There’s layer upon layer to both characters, though once Hathaway starts to reveal a potentially supernatural element to things, a whole new side is opened up. They have a great, wounded, chemistry with each other that proves hypnotic. The small supporting cast includes Jessica Brown Findlay and Hunter Schafer, among others, but Coel and Hathaway are the stars, without question.

Writer/director David Lowery crafts his most ambitious flick in how much he’s actually biting off here. Visually, it’s a dark and rainy vibe when the two women are together, captured by Lowery’s normal cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo. Palermo, along with Rina Yang, go in a whole other direction for Lowery with the concert scenes, which feel epic. Lowery’s direction, alongside his writing, hint at a ghost story, but as much as this has mystery and thriller elements, there’s a love story at its core that borders on the psychosexual. It takes a while to come together, but when you get it all, you realize what Lowery has been up to and how rich it all is. The other highlight of Mother Mary? The original music, which has a score from another regular collaborator in Daniel Hart, but original songs written by Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX, and FKA twigs. Even without the film, the songs are bops, destined to be enjoyed independent of the often hypnotic visuals.

Mother Mary will confound some, which can come with the Lowery territory, but as long as you allow yourself to drift on to his wavelength, the rewards are certainly there. I was left a bit cold early on by what was unfolding, but especially as the third act began, it all really clicked in for me. Lowery blew me away with A Ghost Story, and while this isn’t on that level (that’s his masterpiece, so far), there are echoes here that I really appreciated.

SCORE: ★★★