Mary (2019)

Directed by: Michael Goi | 84 minutes | horror | Actors: Gary Oldman, Emily Mortimer, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Stefanie Scott, Chloe Perrin, Owen Teague, Jennifer Esposito, Douglas Urbanski, Claire Byrne, Michael Landes, Natalie Jean, Griffin Hood, Kathryn Kelly

Gary Oldman won an Oscar in 2017 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in ‘Darkest Hour’. The proud winner then happily went on to make B-junk like ‘Hunter Killer’ and ‘Mary’. What makes the latter film special in this Briton’s oeuvre, however, is that he plays in it very subdued. Don’t expect maniacal outbursts or bombastic voices from the actor this time, but controlled play.

‘Mary’ revolves around David (Oldman). This captain wants to support his family, but struggles with his career. He works for starvation wages and yearns for a boat of his own so that he can start his own business and earn more. When he sees the neglected sloop ‘Mary’ during an auction, he immediately falls in love. Without consulting his wife (Emily Mortimer), he buys the boat in the hopes of running it with his family and earning a good living. What the family doesn’t know is that the ship has a dark past…

The DVD cover features the text ‘From the author of The Shallows’ prominently. Anyone expecting an enjoyable shark film will be disappointed. ‘Mary’ is a slow haunted house movie on the water. It soon becomes apparent that something is wrong on the ship, but what exactly is going on is still a mystery. This is Michael Goi’s first cinema film and you can tell. The filmmaker is mainly known for TV films and series. Cinematographically, there is little to enjoy. The film looks decent, but visual tricks or creative camera setups are not on the menu.

‘Mary’ has to rely on the acting. Oldman is believable as a middle-aged man who wants to support his family but can’t. Mortimer is solid as always and convincingly portrays her character. The child actors are also good. However, the tension arc is as flexible as elastic (read: rather fluffy and stretched). The special effects aren’t convincing either. ‘Mary’ is a nice genre film with an excellent cast. More had lived here. What remains is a fun horror film that never irritates, but never really gets exciting.