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Our take
Mother Mary is rated R for some violent content and language. Anne Hathaway plays a troubled pop icon reuniting with estranged designer Sam (Michaela Coel) before a comeback show. The dreamlike thriller includes chest cutting, hand stabbing, DIY tooth pulling, a stage fall with a cable around the neck, séances, non-sexual nudity, and talk of suicide. New Zealand classifiers specifically warn about self-harm and disturbing imagery. Best for mature viewers who can handle psychological horror, not younger music fans
Uplifting themes
The story warns that celebrity can isolate people from their true selves, but offers little comfort
Story (may spoil tone)
Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm on the eve of her comeback performance.
What we flagged
Scores are 0–5: 0 means none; 5 means the strongest we flagged in that category.
Details
Violence Hand stabbings, chest cutting, stage falls, and séance injuries play ou…
Hand stabbings, chest cutting, stage falls, and séance injuries play out in close, bloody detail
Language Several f-words plus scatological curses and religious exclamations dur…
Several f-words plus scatological curses and religious exclamations during heated arguments
Sex / nudity Non-sexual nudity, revealing stage costumes, and intense subtext betwee…
Non-sexual nudity, revealing stage costumes, and intense subtext between the two lead women
Drugs / alcohol A character takes pills at night and mentions relying on many medicatio…
A character takes pills at night and mentions relying on many medications
Frightening Ghosts, possession-style séances, and surreal body horror create a heav…
Ghosts, possession-style séances, and surreal body horror create a heavy, unsettling mood
Self-harm / suicide Chest cutting, tooth pulling, staged hanging, and spoken references to…
Chest cutting, tooth pulling, staged hanging, and spoken references to suicide attempts are central
Sexual violence No sexual violence found in this title
No sexual violence found in this title
Child peril / abuse No child peril found in this title
No child peril found in this title
Bullying / discrimination No bullying found in this title
No bullying found in this title
Gore / death / weapons Blood, open wounds, and tissue are shown during self-inflicted and séan…
Blood, open wounds, and tissue are shown during self-inflicted and séance-related injuries
Dangerous behaviour Graphic self-harm rituals and DIY medical acts could disturb or influen…
Graphic self-harm rituals and DIY medical acts could disturb or influence vulnerable viewers
Eating disorders / body image No eating found in this title
No eating found in this title
Mental health Fame, trauma, breakdown talk, and a toxic reunion fuel the psychologica…
Fame, trauma, breakdown talk, and a toxic reunion fuel the psychological spiral
Gambling No gambling found in this title
No gambling found in this title
Grief / bereavement A near-fatal accident and a mother's death sit under the friends' ruptu…
A near-fatal accident and a mother's death sit under the friends' ruptured bond
Talk after watching
- Mother Mary and Sam were best friends before fame tore them apart. How does success change close relationships?
- The film blurs performance, costume, and real pain. When does art help someone heal, and when does it mask harm?