Our Review

                           Movie: MOTHER MARY

    Rating: R, some violent content and language

                                    Length: 1:52

                   Release Date: April 17, 2026

Jeanne: Written and directed by David Lowery, MOTHER MARY stars Anne Hathaway as a global pop star who, in desperation, turns to her former friend and fashion designer, Sam Anselm, played with distinct fervor by Michaela Coel. Featuring an all-female cast, this gothic melodrama is rooted in the influence of Madonna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

Lowery wanted an already established star for the part of Mother Mary and Hathaway fulfilled that requirement perfectly, bringing to the role her well-known self-confidence and also her vulnerability. She endured very demanding training to improve her dancing and singing, which is evident in her onstage scenes as Mother Mary.

After a ten-year split, Mother Mary shows up at Anselm’s country estate in a panic. She needs a new dress for her comeback performance and nothing she has seen so far pleases her. She realizes the only one who really sees   and understands her is her oldest, dearest friend, Sam, whom she abandoned. Upon arriving, Mother Mary is informed that Sam is in the midst of preparing for her own fashion show, but Mother Mary is insistent that Sam make her costume.

What begins as a tete a tete around their past evolves into

a bizarre night as Mother Mary details her encounter with Imogen (real-life pop icon FKA twigs), who released a ghostly figure referred to as The Red Woman during a séance. Sam has had an encounter with the same spirit in her dreams, so together she and Mother Mary work to dispel The Red Woman, who appears in the form of red unconstructed fabric, from Mother Mary’s consciousness. 

Yes, MOTHER MARY is a tad out there, but I found it immensely intriguing. David --- not so much. But, again, what does he know? Lowery’s film is totally dialogue driven, which is always a struggle for those who only want action.

Hathaway and Coel exude a tentative yet beguiling chemistry. It’s easy to believe that at one time they were inseparable. And as the movie progresses, we wonder how Mother Mary ever got along without Sam. Both of these women deliver remarkable performances. They are quite astonishing.

As one would expect from a production about a global pop star, the costumes worn by Mother Mary during her concerts are spectacular. Lowery tapped designer Bina Daigeler, who was nominated for an Oscar for MULAN, and the results are stunning. Mother Mary also sports signature halos as part of her onstage drama, and they, along with her dresses, become more significant over time as her career progresses.

And what would a story about a singer be without the music? Lowery had the idea of a musical style infused with Goth and industrial pop, so he enlisted Charli xcx and Jack Antonoff, along with FKA twigs to contribute. The soundtrack is masterful --- and so is Hathaway as she performs these original songs. MOTHER MARY is certainly not everyone’s taste, but it is definitely different.

Opinion: See It Now!

David: This unique film, written and directed by David Lowery (THE GREEN KNIGHT, Disney’s PETE’S DRAGON), stars Anne Hathaway as we’ve never seen her before. Her iconic performance as Fantine in the 2012 movie version of Les Misérables earned her Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA wins for Best Actress. Yet her portrayal of the fictitious Mother Mary is a world apart from her prior work.

Hathaway plays the title character in MOTHER MARY, and to prepare for the role she trained to improve her singing and dancing. The result is a powerful voice accompanied by onstage choreography one might associate with the likes of Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga. In fact, Hathaway spent many hours reviewing tapes of these performers and others.

Lowery hired Jack Antonoff to create original songs for MOTHER MARY for Hathaway and a couple of her co-stars. He is actually a 14-time Grammy winner as songwriter, singer, producer and musician. Antonoff has worked with stars like Ms. Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruce Springsteen and Florence and The Machine among others.

MOTHER MARY is actually two movies in one. Half of the film features Hathaway as the fictitious singing icon Mother Mary on stage in front of 400 extras who hold up lighted candles, as concert goers tend to do. Again, Hathaway’s voice is impressive.

The other half of the film is devoted to Mother Mary and her former best friend and dress designer, Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel, herself an Emmy and BAFTA winner), discussing, arguing and otherwise fretting about their estrangement over the past many years. Mother Mary is obsessed with needing a special dress for her imminent comeback performance, so she shows up at Sam’s door for help.

The movie alternates back and forth between dialogue-driven scenes with Mother Mary and Sam --- and then Mother Mary performing her concerts. MOTHER MARY is at its most stunning when it presents the iconic pop star on stage --- singing and prancing around in her various elaborate costumes.

I would suggest that the tenor of MOTHER MARY is so unexpected that the film merits a second viewing. But there is no denying the two excellent performances from Hathaway and Coel.

Opinion: See It Now!