“Mother Mary” key art featuring Anne Hathaway.
a24
Mother Mary, a psychological thriller starring Anne Hathaway as a pop music icon, arrives on digital streaming on Tuesday after a dismal run in theaters.
Written and directed by David Lowery, Mother Mary opened in limited release in theaters on April 17 before expanding to a wider footprint on April 24. Hathaway stars as the title character in Mother Mary, a world-famous pop singer who is preparing for a comeback show following an on-stage accident.
Seeking the help of her estranged costume collaborator, Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), to design a dress for the show, Mother Mary must confront her past with Sam, as well as the stage accident, which the designer has suspicions about.
Mother Mary, which also contains supernatural elements, also stars Hunter Schafer, Sian Clifford, FKA Twigs, Jessica Brown Findlay, Kaia Gerber and Alba Baptista.
While Hathaway has had a blockbuster run at the box office with her latest film, The Devil Wears Prada 2 — which has earned $547 million in worldwide ticket sales to date — the Les Misérables Oscar winner didn’t have near the amount of good fortune with Mother Mary. The film to date has earned $2.5 million domestically and just over $121,000 in international ticket sales for a worldwide box office tally of $2.6 million.
The film, which is currently playing in 21 theaters domestically, had its widest North American release from April 24 to May 1, when it played in 1,103 venues.
Mother Mary’s worldwide gross of $2.6 million to date is no doubt a paltry return for someone the caliber of Hathaway, considering that the film had a production budget of $20 million before marketing costs, according to box office tracker The Numbers. As far as reviews were concerned, Mother Mary earned a 70% “fresh” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer based on 178 reviews but was given a 59% “rotten” score on RT’s Popcornmeter based on 250-plus verified user ratings.
The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, “Anne Hathaway acquits herself well as a believable pop star in Mother Mary, a modish psychodrama that can be frustratingly obtuse but has style to spare.”
On the flip side, the Audience Summary on RT notes, “Mother Mary may not be for the masses, but this intriguing film will captivate those seeking a bold, immersive, and trippy experience that’s elevated by its stars.”
Where Is ‘Mother Mary’ Available To Stream?
Mother Mary debuted on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday on such digital platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube Movies & TV.
The film became available on Tuesday for digital purchase for $24.99 or rent for $19.99 for a 48-hour period. For viewers who elected to watch Mother Mary on a subscription streaming service, the film will first become available to watch on streaming video on demand on HBO Max. Mother Mary’s studio, A24, has an agreement with HBO Max that gives the Warner Bros. Discovery platform the right to stream its films first after they debut on PVOD.
Mother Mary, which features original music from Jack Antanoff, FKA Twigs and Charli xcx, is rated R.