Anne Hathaway‘s new A24 movie Mother Mary is out this week, and ahead of its release, reviews have begun pouring in, with some critics remaining divisive over the new David Lowery movie.
What are critics saying about Anne Hathaway’s new movie?
On Rotten Tomatoes, Mother Mary has debuted to a 75% score, a high mark for a film, but one that does leave some room for divisive opinions. Specifically, a handful of critics have derided the movie for its overly melodramatic tones.
The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney noted that “despite reams of dialogue that tends to be enigmatic if not downright opaque, the gothic melodrama is stretched too thin to have much grip,” and ended up finding the movie “a bore” and “self-consciously cool but distancing and empty.”
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman also didn’t love the film, saying that “the most befuddlingly pretentious movie about a pop star since Brady Corbet’s Vox Lux. It heads down a blind alley of cosmic meaning that, in the end, means nothing.” While the movie has been praised by many, most of the negative reviews of the film point to its shallow themes and pretentious feel that might turn away some viewers.
Despite the divisive reviews, even the most negative review does have something positive to say about Mother Mary. Specifically, Hathaway’s performance in the movie is praised by all, with every critic noting that she turns in an incredible performance. Likewise, the look and visual style of the movie is something that every review praises, with some reviews also noting that it does possess some actually scary moments sprinkled in throughout the film.
Mother Mary follows the story of a global pop star facing an existential crisis, who abandons her tour in order to reunite with an old friend. The friend, who helped craft the pop star’s persona, links up with the diva, leading to chaos.
Alongside Hathaway in the lead role of the pop diva, Mother Mary also stars Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, Jessica Brown Findlay, Sian Clifford, and FKA Twigs. The movie is directed by David Lowery (The Green Knight), from a script written by Lowery as well. Lowery, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jeanie Igoe, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, and Jonathan Saubach all produced the film.
