Movie review
April 16, 2026 · 112 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Mother Mary.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent Black actress (Michaela Coel) in intense co-lead role as creative partner and lover to white protagonist, plus transgender actress (Hunter Schafer) in supporting role as personal assistant; visible diversity in key positions aligns with industry patterns but appears driven by artistic fit rather than explicit quota signaling or story-mandated identity.
Woke political dialogue
Little political, activist, DEI, or identity-politics dialogue present; Most conversations center on personal grievances, creative credit, trauma, and artistic process.
Identity-driven story themes
Core driving relationship is the past romantic and sexual bond between two women, with strong psychosexual and sapphic elements that shape the emotional conflict, supernatural metaphor, and character arcs; widely discussed in reception as a queer melodrama of longing and betrayal.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Pop star’s secular appropriation of Christian/Marian religious imagery for her persona creates artistic tension and fuels some supernatural consequences, viewed by religious critics as irreverent.
Review
Mother Mary is a 2026 A24 psychological drama-thriller written and directed by David Lowery. Anne Hathaway plays a troubled pop icon who flees to the English countryside to reunite with her estranged lover and former costume designer, played by Michaela Coel, three days before her big comeback show. The story mixes personal trauma, creative betrayal, and a supernatural ghost story built around their intense shared past. The central relationship between the two women carries prominent sapphic and psychosexual elements that many critics and viewers openly describe as a core queer dynamic, backed by casting that includes a Black co-lead and a transgender supporting actress.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. Original story with no established characters, canon, or historical figures altered for ideological or identity-driven reasons.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Backlash exists but centers exclusively on religious blasphemy and mockery of the Virgin Mary via title and iconography from Christian viewers; no meaningful complaints treat the film as pushing woke, DEI, identity politics, or left-wing messaging.
Creator track record context
David Lowery has a long record of introspective independent films focused on personal and artistic themes with zero documented political activism or identity-driven projects; all listed producers and crew maintain strictly professional arthouse careers without activist histories.
Production
