Mother Mary (2026)
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A world-famous musical artist must confront her past and a haunting presence while preparing for a comeback performance with her estranged former collaborator.
The story
Mother Mary, a world-famous musical artist, prepares to mount a comeback performance in the wake of an onstage accident. Overwhelmed during a costume fitting, she flees to the English countryside to seek out fashion designer Sam Anselm, her estranged lover and collaborator. With three days until Mary's show, Sam grudgingly agrees to design her a dress. The two must navigate their strained relationship and the complexities of Mary's artistic vision while working together in Sam's barn-turned-workshop. As the deadline approaches, the tension between the two women intensifies, forcing them to confront the history of their partnership and the secrets that led to their separation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following an onstage accident, pop star Mother Mary seeks out her estranged former lover and collaborator, Sam Anselm, in the English countryside to design a dress for her comeback performance. As they work in Sam's workshop, old resentments surface. Sam reveals she hasn't listened to Mary's music since a traumatic event involving a 'ghost' of red cloth. Mary admits she is also haunted by this spirit, which entered her body during a concert and caused a severe injury. The two perform a ritual using dressmaking tools to exorcise the spirit; Mary cuts open her chest, and Sam pulls out the ghost, transforming the manifestation of their shared trauma into harmless fabric. Mary apologizes for past wrongs, and Sam is inspired to turn the red fabric into a dress. In the final scene, Mary takes the stage, sheds her original costume, and dedicates her song to Sam.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Lowery
- Writers
- David Lowery · writer
- Cast and characters
- Anne Hathaway · Mother Mary; Michaela Coel · Sam Anselm; Hunter Schafer · Hilda; Sian Clifford · Jade; Atheena Frizzell · Emily; FKA Twigs · Imogen; Jessica Brown Findlay · Tessa; Kaia Gerber · Nikki; Alba Baptista · Miel Contrera; Isaura Barbé-Brown · Kyla
- Genres
- psychological drama
- Themes
- fame and art; trauma; collaboration
- Tone and mood
- psychological; tense
- Setting
- English countryside
- Premise and plot tags
- pop music; fashion design; supernatural
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was described as a psychological drama that explores the intersection of fame and art, with some critics finding it pretentious or ungraspable.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Production trivia
- The film was partly inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).; The director drew inspiration from Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour.; The soundtrack album Mother Mary: Greatest Hits was released on April 17, 2026.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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