For audiences who remember her poignant vocals in Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway’s transformation into a timeless, top-tier pop star is stunning in its own right. Director David Lowery’s new feature, Mother Mary, is a cruel yet beautiful psychological thriller that unfolds within the confined space of an atelier, centering on Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway), a pop icon unraveling at the peak of her career, and Sam (Michaela Coel), her exclusive fashion designer. As they craft the garments, the simmering love-hate dynamic, subtle erotic tension, and a supernatural ’red phantom’ engulfing the studio sharply illuminate the dark underbelly of modern pop culture that worships pop stars akin to the Virgin Mary. Sensuously translating the artist’s deep creative anxieties into a frantic narrative, the film offers an all-out sensory experience - elevated by Anne Hathaway’s own live vocal performances, a soundtrack crafted by Charli XCX and Jack Antonoff, and FKA twigs’ presence as a spirit medium alongside her dreamlike music. By the end, it leaves you eagerly anticipating actor Anne Hathaway’s real-life solo album debut, making it the most stylish pop-culture dark fairy tale at this year’s BIFF.
David Lowery is an American filmmaker. He made his feature debut with St. Nick (2009) and went on to direct Pete’s Dragon (2016), A Ghost Story (2017), The Green Knight (2021), and Peter Pan & Wendy (2023). His films have screened at various international film festivals, including Karlovy Vary and Toronto, and he won the Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival for Ain′t Them Bodies Saints (2013).
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
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