Forget ‘The Odyssey,’ Anne Hathaway’s Unforgettable Thriller Is Officially Streaming on HBO Max
Anne Hathaway's acclaimed psychological thriller "Mother Mary" has begun streaming on HBO Max, giving wider audiences a chance to see a performance that critics regard as among her best of the year, despite the film's low profile after a quiet April cinema release. Directed by David Lowery, known for genre-hopping works such as "The Green Knight" and "A Ghost Story," the film is being highlighted as an overlooked standout in what has otherwise been a blockbuster-heavy year for Hathaway.
The story follows Mary (Hathaway), a pop star in the midst of an emotional breakdown who flees to London days before a major comeback show, turning up unannounced at the home of her former costume designer and possible ex-lover, Sam Anselm, played by Michaela Coel. Structured largely like a two-hander stage play interspersed with concert flashbacks, the film blends its central relationship drama with ghost-story elements, culminating in a visually inventive "exorcism" sequence created with artist Daniel Wurtzel, who specialises in suspended-fabric effects.
- Anne Hathaway's thriller "Mother Mary" is now streaming on HBO Max.
- Directed by David Lowery, co-starring Michaela Coel as her ex-lover.
- Blends a two-hander drama with ghost-story visuals after a quiet April release.
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Anne Hathaway has spent much of the year in the spotlight for big-budget projects, but "Mother Mary" is a smaller, less-noticed film that critics have singled out as one of her strongest performances. It had a limited cinema release in April and largely slipped under the radar before arriving on HBO Max, where more viewers can now watch it.
The film is directed by David Lowery, a filmmaker known for genre-blending work such as "The Green Knight" and "A Ghost Story." It centres on Mary, a pop star played by Hathaway who is unravelling under pressure ahead of a big comeback concert, and Sam Anselm, played by Michaela Coel, her former costume designer and possible past lover, with whom she takes refuge in London.
Much of the story plays out as an intense two-person drama, mixing flashbacks to Mary's concerts with elements of a ghost story, including a striking visual sequence built around suspended-fabric effects. Its combination of character study and supernatural imagery, along with the pairing of Hathaway and Coel, is central to why the film has drawn attention despite its quiet initial release.