--- title: "Mother Mary: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mother-mary/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/mother-mary" critics_score: 56 critics_reviews: 21 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mother Mary (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 56 from 21 reviews: 8 positive, 7 mixed, 6 negative. The consensus on Mother Mary is mixed, with critics widely divided over its experiments but more united about its leads. Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel draw praise across favourable and hostile reviews alike, with Hathaway’s stage performances and Coel’s commanding presence recurring as strengths. The visual and costume design also earn substantial approval, while several supporters single out the wordless dance sequence for expressing feelings that the dialogue struggles to reach. The disagreement centres on whether the surreal storytelling gives the drama emotional force or obscures characters who already feel remote. IndieWire finds the film hypnotic and emotionally resonant; The Hollywood Reporter finds it dull and emotionally empty despite admiring its visuals and costumes. Between those positions, the reservations concern slow pacing, strained dialogue and ideas that fail to cohere. Even some enthusiastic reviews acknowledge that its strangeness can make it difficult to enter. ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating A-. 14 April 2026. Ehrlich finds the film beguiling, hypnotic, and emotionally resonant, praising its strange exploration of art’s power to heal. He especially singles out Anne Hathaway’s commanding performance and the film’s vivid visual and musical design. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/mother-mary-movie-review-anne-hathaway-a24-1235188817/) ## The AV Club — Natalia Keogan Rating B+. 14 April 2026. Keogan gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it Lowery’s most successful sensory experience. She especially praises the uncanny, wordless dance that reveals the film’s emotional and metaphysical force. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/mother-mary-review) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 April 2026. Nugent finds the film a sublime, gorgeous meditation on creativity and collaboration, though its ideas are not entirely new. He especially praises the performances, songs, costume design, and cinematography as a unified artistic achievement. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mother-mary/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/4/4. 23 April 2026. The review finds the film strange, haunting and unusually original, though it can be wilfully inaccessible. It singles out Michaela Coel’s compelling performance and the film’s distinctive storytelling for praise. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/mother-mary) ## Slant Magazine — Rocco T. Thompson Rating 3/4. 14 April 2026. Thompson sees the film as an ambitious, darkly divine pop exorcism whose elements may not fully cohere. He praises the vivid theatrical imagery and the charged performances of Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway-michaela-coel-david-lowery/) ## Screen Daily — Nikki Baughan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. The headline indicates a positive verdict on the film as a finely crafted psychodrama. It singles out Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel as impressive. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway-and-michaela-coel-impress-in-david-lowerys-finely-crafted-psychodrama/5215618.article) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. Willmore finds the film beguiling but uneven, praising its compelling style while faulting its characters for feeling remote. She singles out a dreamlike sequence of Mary moving between stages as an image that lingers. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/mother-mary-is-worth-your-worship.html) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 April 2026. The page appears to be a review, but its text is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be identified from the accessible material. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/movies/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway.html) ## Radio Times — Chezelle Bingham Rating ★★★. Bingham finds Anne Hathaway spellbinding in this surreal character drama. The review singles out her performance, while noting the dialogue-heavy approach to exploring Mother Mary’s inner life. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2lw3ce/mother-mary/) ## Time Out — Larushka Ivan-Zadeh Fi1m's normalised score 59/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2026. The review’s standfirst suggests the film aspires to the effect of its comparisons but may not achieve it. It singles out its mix of The Red Shoes, Suspiria and Black Swan as the point of comparison, not as an unqualified success. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/mother-mary-review-2026) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 April 2026. Walsh finds the film overlong and dramatically muddled despite its ambitious ideas. She praises the performances and singles out Hathaway’s live musical scenes as so compelling they leave the viewer wanting more of her. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-04-17/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway-michaela-coel-david-lowery-a24) ## The Guardian — Owen Myers Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. The critic finds the film dour, muddled and overly earnest, despite its moments of dazzling style. Michaela Coel’s performance and the lavish pop-concert sequences stand out, while the film’s coyness and clunky dialogue draw criticism. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/apr/14/mother-mary-movie-review-anne-hathaway) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 16 April 2026. Brody finds the film frustrating and dramatically unfulfilled, arguing that its small-scale approach feels strained and its treatment of stardom is shallow. He praises Michaela Coel’s balletic delivery of Sam’s sharp dialogue, while faulting the script for leaving the characters’ relationship and racial implications unexplored. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/mother-mary-and-the-problem-of-small-movies-with-big-stars) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. Gleiberman finds the film watchable at first but ultimately incoherent and pretentious. He praises Hathaway and Coel’s performances, while faulting the Gothic fantasy turn and the songs. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway-michaela-coel-david-lowery-1236720011/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. Rooney finds the film pretentious, dull and emotionally empty. He praises its striking visuals and the knockout costume design, especially Mother Mary’s final dress. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway-michaela-coel-david-lowery-1236562823/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. Hammond finds the film weirdly mesmerizing and ultimately satisfying, despite taking too long to reach its main event. He singles out Hathaway and Coel’s exceptional chemistry, along with Hathaway’s thrilling performance onstage. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/04/mother-mary-review-pop-star-anne-hathaway-michaela-coel-1236859720/) ## Polygon — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 April 2026. The critic finds the film an uncanny, conceptually rich ghost story that approaches horror without fully embracing it. They praise the red fabric apparition for evoking both the bond between the women and the lingering nature of memory. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/david-lowerys-mother-mary-as-ghost-story/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. The critic finds the film messy and nearly pretentious, but ultimately captivating. They praise the cast’s commitment and the film’s brazen, dreamy performances. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway-michaela-coel/) ## /Film — Bill Bria Rating 5 out of 10. 14 April 2026. Bria finds the film emotionally distant, confounding, and ultimately unsatisfying. He praises Hathaway and Coel’s performances, while faulting the script for letting its metaphysical ideas obscure the characters and drama. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2147646/mother-mary-2026-movie-review/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film interesting but uneven, with its ideas and surreal turn preventing it from fully coming together. Coel’s grounded performance and the expressive dance scene are singled out as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/mother-mary-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2026. The review finds the film unsatisfying despite its strong performances. It singles out Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel for praise, while criticizing the story as overstuffed. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway-michaela-coel-stun-but-david-lowerys-pop-star-saga-is-too-overstuffed-to-satisfy-20260414/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/mother-mary.md