Mother Mary Review: Anne Hathaway's Pop Star Drama Is All Style No Substance

4 hours ago 11

Anne Hathaway singing on stage bathed in golden light in Mother Mary

Published Apr 14, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Molly Freeman is ScreenRant's Senior Editor - Superheroes, and one of ScreenRant's Rotten Tomatoes-approved critics. She oversees the content operation of ScreenRant's Superheroes vertical, covering Marvel and DC movie and television releases while managing a dedicated team of passionate writers and editors. Molly has been at ScreenRant since May 2014, working across many teams—including news, features, interviews, social media and reviews—before launching the Superheroes vertical in 2023.

Previously, Molly served as a TV writer at Bustle, and a writer, editor and podcast host at BreakThru Radio. She's had entertainment and pop culture essays published on HelloGiggles and Femsplain, and her expertise has led to appearances on podcasts like Total Geekall.

In the opening of Mother Mary, written and directed by David Lowery (The Green Knight), Michaela Coel's Sam Anselm gives a haunting monologue about love and hate, speaking in abstract terms that the audience is meant to associate with Anne Hathaway's pop star character, the titular Mother Mary. Though the words Coel speaks are beautiful, especially with the emotion she imbues them with, their abstraction makes them ring hollow, which is the ultimate downfall of Mother Mary itself.

On its surface, Lowery's film tells the story of Hathaway's Mother Mary – a character whose real name is never given – reuniting with Sam, her former fashion designer, who knew her before she was famous but with whom she parted on bad terms. Digging deeper, Mother Mary attempts to explore the secret life of a pop star, and what havoc her fame has wreaked on her self-identity and personal relationships. But with so much of that exploration wrapped up in metaphor, it's likely that whatever themes or messages Lowery intended will go over viewers' heads.

The dialogue of Mother Mary is gorgeous. Lowery's script gives Coel long stretches of speech that weave words together as beautifully as Sam crafts her designer dresses. The words, which are steeped in raw emotion by Coel's performance, are haunting and play perfectly against the setting of the film: a rundown outbuilding tucked away behind Sam's fashion house. It all comes together into something reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe's work, with the mounting tension leading to a crescendo.

Its metaphors take on a life of their own, and it's difficult to determine at that point what exactly Mother Mary is trying to get across.

However, Mother Mary's finale is muddled by the film getting too deep into its metaphors. There is a point, about halfway through, when Mary asks Sam whether she's speaking in metaphor, and implores the latter to speak plainly. It's a moment that precedes the film's sharp turn toward the abstract, when thoughts and feelings and past trauma take an almost physical form as a spirit haunting both women. Its metaphors take on a life of their own, and it's difficult to determine at that point what exactly Mother Mary is trying to get across.

As a result, the film may leave audiences with more questions than answers. What really happened between Mary and Sam? What does the spirit represent, and what does the ending mean for both characters? What actually happens at the end of the movie, or is it simply another metaphor?

While Lowery's film is ripe for interpretation, and will no doubt be better received by those who enjoy that style of filmmaking, those wanting actual answers will find frustratingly little satisfaction. Mother Mary is, at heart, more about vibes and style than anything else.

Mother Mary's Stars Are Phenomenal

Michaela Cole As Sam Staring At A Piece Of Fabric In Mother Mary

Still, there is plenty to enjoy in Mother Mary, especially for those already intrigued by seeing Hathaway take on the role of a world-renowned pop star. She sings and dances her way through a number of songs throughout the film, lending her own vocals to a soundtrack written by Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX. While Mother Mary isn't a musical in the strictest sense, its music is one of the film's strengths, though there aren't any true earworms like Charli XCX and John Cale's "House" from the Wuthering Heights soundtrack.

Beyond the music, Hathaway and Coel both deliver captivating performances, the actresses wresting the spotlight from each other in turn. Coel's Sam talks quite a bit more than Hathaway's Mary, so she gets the lion's share of the monologues and delivers them all masterfully. Conversely, Hathaway's performance is rather more physical. She's portraying a character who has lost her sense of self to the point that she's gone searching for it in Sam.

Mother Mary would never be able to work without the chemistry of Coel and Hathaway, and the two stars sell the deep, profound nature of Sam and Mary's relationship in a way that centers the film. Their dynamic is the strongest aspect of Mother Mary, and it will keep audiences enthralled even if the metaphors and abstractions go over their heads. The stars are the centerpiece, and while they cannot overcome a messy ending, they give the film its beating heart.

Ultimately, Mother Mary isn't going to be a broad crowd-pleaser – even with its main character taking inspiration from the likes of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift – but that's okay. With magnificent performances from Hathaway and Coel, stunning and evocative visuals, and a reliance on sensational vibes, Mother Mary is sure to find its fans.

Mother Mary will debut in limited release on Friday, April 17, before opening wide on Friday, April 24.