‘Mother Mary’ review: A deliciously trippy experience

Anne Hathaway is a pop star on a mission in this mesmerising, genre-defying two-hander with Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You). Coel is Sam, a talented, instinctive costume designer who’s preparing for a show when she gets a terrible feeling in her gut: she can tell that she’s about to receive a visit from her former collaborator Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway). Mother Mary is a global superstar who’s fallen from grace and desperately needs a dress for her big comeback show. Arriving at Sam’s artfully dilapidated mansion, she is tired, emotional and clearly needs a friend, as well as a dress. Sam, however, is seething with anger about the way they parted company many years ago, and uses her sharp, dark wit and deep knowledge of Mother Mary’s psyche to play power games, ostensibly in service of the dressmaking process. Flashbacks show Mother Mary performing to thousands of adoring fans, with Hathaway belting out the songs convincingly – artists that spring to mind include Madonna and Taylor Swift.

Writer-director David Lowery has made many fascinating, atmospheric films, from Pete’s Dragon to A Ghost Story: this is his most intense yet, digging around in the dark corners of his characters’ minds and using powerful visual symbolism to explore the deep connection between them. 

There are several astonishing scenes. One features Sam ordering Mother Mary to dance her upcoming routine, without music: Hathaway’s movement tells a story of pain and trauma with a hint of spiritual angst. Later, Mother Mary recalls a ouija board session with a medium (FKA twigs, who also wrote and recorded original music for the film). It’s here that the tone moves towards horror of the most elevated kind: unnerving, elusive, challenging, visceral and visually hypnotic. There’s a strong suggestion of a past sexual connection between the two women, but the intimacy takes on a different form in the present, all the more piercing for the pain the pair have endured since their separation. 

It feels significant that the key supporting roles, from assistants to stage managers, are filled by women. In a world where on-screen geniuses are usually male, this explores the relationship between two formidable females who both excel in their artforms. With Sam in the driving seat, this is the best showcase yet of Coel’s acting abilities: she makes wonderful work of Lowery’s rich dialogue, bringing a unique character to the screen. 

Hathaway’s character may be the megastar, but both these actresses come out on top in this deliciously trippy experience.