Horror in the form of witches comes to the big screen in the film Mary. The film quality and production value is very good, but the story drags and even though there are a few jumps and scares, it just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t the acting however as the whole cast does a good job of creating their characters. If you believe in witches or at least are frightened that there may be such an entity, than this film may just work for you.
David Geer (Gary Oldman) puts his life savings into a boat that the coast guard has found floating off the coast of Florida. Paid for at the auction, the craft is quite old and has been beaten up by the sea for a long time. But, it’s the perfect size and construction that can be used for charter fishing during the tourist season.
After fixing the vessel up, his wife Sarah (Emily Mortimer), daughters Lindsay (Stefanie Scott) and Mary (Chloe Perrin) decide to christen the boat Mary and take it out for their maiden voyage to see how it performs. Coming along is Lindsay’s boyfriend Tommy (Owen Teague) and David’s shipmate Mike (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo). Away on the open sea they go and the boat is performing without any problems. That first night with everyone in bed however, David notices that the boat is drifting. Going topside he sees Tommy is very disturbed and has hurt himself. It’s the beginning of a tale of witches and a watery grave with revenge at the bottom of it all.
Director Michael Goi who’s no stranger to the horror genre having helmed 4 episodes of “American Horror Story” (2016), does his best to control the action and make it scary and disturbing enough for horror fans. Although he has the right cast, the floundering script doesn’t really get the elements of surprise and fear across. I will say that making a film on a boat is no easy task, yet Goi does make a fair stab at it.
Gary Oldman and Emily Mortimer perform well together and work their characters into the plot well. Oldman’s David, working as captain of a charter fishing boat, starts out as if he’s finally found his lifelong search for the perfect craft that will provide for his family. As things start to fall apart he grasps for ways to save his family from imminent danger. It’s a good role for Oldman, but the script does nothing for him.
Mortimer has always been high on my list for performances by an actress and she doesn’t disappoint here with excellent control of the demanding role as Sarah. Under duress and accused of murder from the happenings on the vessel, she tells the story of what happened to put her in the fix. Protecting her two girls at the top of the list, she fights off an entity she believes to be a witch. But, even though she survives, it’s not a good end for Sarah.
Mary has been rated R by the MPAA for some terror, violence, and language.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Just an average fear factor keeps the film around average. (2.5 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Gary Oldman, Jennifer Esposito, Emily Mortimer, Owen Teague, Stefanie Scott, Michael Landes, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Douglas Urbanski, Chloe Perrin, Claire Byrne, Griffin Hood
Directed by: Michael Goi
Genre: Horror, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R for some terror, violence, and language
Running Time: 1 hr. 24 min.
Opening Date: October 11, 2019
Distributed by: RJLE Films
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
