'Mary' Reviews: Film "isn't really Mary's story in any way that counts or that feels distinct from the version we already know"

         On December 6, 2024, Netflix released 'Mary', which has received a mixed reception from critics. In the film, "Mary is shunned following an otherworldly conception and forced to flee when Herod's insatiable thirst for power ignites a murderous pursuit for the newborn." The ensemble cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Noa Cohen, Eamon Farren, and Ido Tako. But what did the critics say?

Photo by Chris Sowder on Unsplash

        Isabella Soares of Collider says, "With an underbaked script by Timothy Michael Hayes and several add-ons to the biblical narrative that harm more than elevate the plot, the cast doesn't get the opportunity to impress or show an inspiring new take on Mary's trajectory." Adding, "The truth is, despite Mary being the title of Caruso's latest directorial effort, there is little that the filmmaker does to help audiences who are both aware and unaware of this story have a more nuanced understanding of its central figure. Aside from a scene during Mary's youth, in which she shows compassion to the poor by bringing them bread, the movie doesn't give you further insight into her character or even her internal conflict about her pregnancy. Despite being looked down upon by the people in her community and having no luck finding a place to stay to give birth to Jesus, viewers never get to know what is going through the character's head or how she is growing from this experience. A coming-of-age project should focus on the protagonist's personal growth, which doesn't happen here."

       Catherine Bray of Guardian notes, "You know the way Dracula likes to deliver a dramatic speech, then turns into a bat, and flies away? It turns out that the angel Gabriel does something similar, only he turns into a blue scarf, the same kind of snazzy number you might get in Monsoon as a birthday present for your mum. Whoosh! Away he goes. Unfortunately, Gabriel-as-knitwear is about as entertaining as it gets in this fairly straightforward biblical adaptation of the early years of Mary, mother of Christ. Actually that’s not quite fair. Anthony Hopkins as Herod understands the assignment, bellowing lines such as “KNEEEEEEEL!” with requisite gusto. We’ve seen him serve more fully flavoured ham before, however, in lavish tosh like The Silence of the Lambs sequels Hannibal and Red Dragon; this is more ham-lite, the sort of villainy Hopkins can deliver in his sleep. Not that it’s not pleasurable to watch, but his Herod could have used at least twice as much screen time as he gets." Adding, "The titular Mary (Noa Cohen) is a bit of a drag, prone to pieties such as “I find pleasure every day in the mysteries of the Lord.” Fair enough, she’s the future mother of God. But when she tells a man who has just been brutally blinded by Herod that “vision comes in many forms”, you can see how people end up so virulently anti-religion. A very late stage swerve into Marvel heroine vernacular – “You may think you know my story. Trust me, you don’t” – doesn’t help matters either. It does, however, come right after the film’s best sequence, in which the infant Christ is saved from the swords of Herod’s minions as Bethlehem burns and our heroes get the hell out of the raging inferno on a horse. There is also a good bit where Mary is urged to stick baby Jesus in a wicker basket and lob him off a roof. Alas, you have to sit through a lot of turgid Bible studies dramatisations of bits of scripture to get to the good stuff. All in all, last year’s Journey to Bethlehem, a musical covering the same material with Antonio Banderas as Herod, represents more bang for your biblical buck."

       Mark Dujsik of Mark Reviews Movies says, "Looked at from either a religious or a more realistic perspective, the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a fascinating one. If some divine power was involved, here's a teenager who unexpectedly finds herself with the weight of becoming pregnant by heavenly intervention, giving birth to the spiritual savior of humanity, and knowing that her son's story will end in a violent death. If none of that is the case, here's a girl burdened with the societal stigma of being young, pregnant, and unwed but who overcomes all of that to raise a child who will become one of the most influential figures in all of history. In other words, Mary could choose either option for the foundation of its story—a religious or secular one—and have plenty to work with in regards to its eponymous character. That screenwriter Timothy Michael Hayes selects the religious angle, then, is of little concern to the potential success of this movie, because it's not as if Mary's life is of much concern to any official Christian scripture. There's plenty of room for interpretation and imagination to get at the heart of this young woman and her story." Concluding, "There's the exposition involving her parents. Her future husband Joseph (Ido Tako) spots her by a river one day, after Gabriel suggests he head in her general direction, is her partner by way of an arranged marriage, because Mary's parents hear him speak of the angel's guidance. She's banished from the temple, becomes a target of rumors and gossip, and is eventually forced to leave home to give birth, as Herod's megalomania reaches its apex. Even Lucifer (Eamon Farren) shows up on occasion to tempt some characters, including Mary, into giving up on all of this, but it's not much of a conflict when all of these characters simply accept the role put to them. Who is Mary here, if not simply someone being influenced, coerced, and pushed around by everyone and everything around her? That's a question the filmmakers seem to have little interest in answering. The movie's goal, it seems, isn't to turn Mary into an active figure in her own story or even to understand how an ordinary person might deal with the unthinkable pressure of being at the center of a divinely ordained plan. Cohen occasionally suggests some underlying doubts, fear, and resilience in her performance, but Caruso seems to have directed his star to mainly appear vulnerable and, as that old phrasing goes, full of grace. The movie looks fine enough, perhaps, and it feels sincere about its intentions in a general sort of way. Mary, though, isn't really Mary's story in any way that counts or that feels distinct from the version we already know."