mother mary (2026, dir. david lowery, starring anne hathaway and michaela coel, featuring songs written by charli xcx/jack antonoff and fka twigs)

divisive film, i think because it's a movie that structurally resembles a play (single location featuring two characters in constant dialogue with each other, with the occasional door opening onto a hallucinatory flashback) and people have struggled with the writing (so thick with imagery and metaphor it's practically viscous) and the "point" of the film (obvious to me it is about being haunted by a long-lost relationship and trying to return to it in order to exorcise that haunted feeling, they could make a million movies about this sort of thing and i'd never tire of it). hathaway is excellent at playing a completely broken pop star, down to the performance scenes, and coel is remarkable at being her unyielding counterpart, because i think it's difficult to exhibit an enduring hurt that's hardened into a mask of hatred and indifference while still clearly, beyond all the established fronts, caring deeply for the person who caused it. and idk this movie just hit me straight in the heart, if only because it made me think about every gay relationship in my life, especially if that relationship involved any sort of artistic collaboration or even just felt like one (all lovers feel like they're inventing something etc.). my movie of the year so far, so i had to make a thread

also this song is a banger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwqIs5ttR8w

i love this movie! i love it so much i bought it for 20 american dollars on apple tv and can't stop watching it!!! ok

I enjoyed it! My own thoughts.

"we're going to watch this fake pop star perform her songs which we are presenting as genuine hits" is such an uphill climb for me in a movie, like it was the worst element of trap which is otherwise sooo fun, and don't get me started on the sia songs in vox lux, yeesh. but they totally nailed the verisimilitude here, could genuinely see these songs as hits and the mother mary concert experience as revelatory. lowery said in multiple interviews that he was inspired by the taylor swift reputation concert film, a man of taste!!!

i've never particularly liked a David Lowery movie but i keep seeing them anyway and thought this looked like one i could finally get into, sad i missed it at the theater

I'll watch it next week.

You know what Lowery film holds up? The Old Man & the Gun. Lovely chemistry b/w Redford + Spacek.

wow for some reason I never even heard of that