Anne Hathaway Thriller Is Now Streaming on HBO Max

Anne Hathaway had a remarkably busy 2026. She appeared in a major Hollywood sequel, played a key figure in Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus, and starred in an inventive dinosaur feature. Alongside those massive productions, she delivered a standout performance in a psychological thriller that many viewers missed during its theatrical run.

Mother Mary marks the latest feature from director David Lowery, known for The Green Knight and A Ghost Story. Lowery brings his signature techniques to the project, utilizing elliptical editing and practical in-camera effects across a distinct narrative landscape. Following a quiet theatrical release in April, Mother Mary is now streaming on HBO Max.

The film opens with Mary, played by Hathaway, a pop star enduring an emotional collapse. Days before her scheduled comeback show, Mary flees to London and arrives unannounced at the home of Sam Anselm, played by Michaela Coel. Sam is Mary’s former costume designer, close friend, and potential past lover. Years have passed since their last meeting, yet their unresolved tension quickly resurfaces when Mary asks Sam to design a dress for the performance.

Much of the drama unfolds like a stage play inside Sam’s cavernous costuming workshop, interspersed with flashbacks and concert sequences. Hathaway captures the dual nature of her character with precision. Onstage, Mary masks her exhaustion behind the polished glamour of a pop icon, while offstage, she keeps people at a distance through superficial charm. In private with Sam, Mary drops her defenses, trying to reconnect with an artist who remains deeply guarded.

Lowery anchors the relationship in the conventions of a ghost story. Recounting the last time she listened to Mary’s music, Sam describes ripping a haunting presence directly from her own body. Once manifested as an external spirit, it freed Sam from the pain of their separation before moving on to haunt Mary instead. The final act focuses on the exorcism of that lingering force.

The director presents the entity as a shifting, bright red presence. It takes several forms throughout the story, appearing as fabric floating on the breeze, an ominous light over a stage, or physical mass on the floor.

Lowery discussed developing the look of the entity in an interview with Polygon:

“I got some red clay and started sculpting maquettes to try to figure out what form I wanted to see. Not even to try to create a sculpture; I was just exploring, trying to look at different shapes, different objects, different transmutations of substances,”

Lowery ultimately partnered with artist Daniel Wurtzel, who specializes in suspended fabric installations, to capture the physical essence of a spirit born from grief.

Early in the narrative, Sam observes, “It’s gonna sound like another metaphor even though it’s not.” The film explores the cost of creative partnerships and the lingering difficulty of letting go. Following a string of major commercial releases, Hathaway offers a very different, intimate performance in Mother Mary.

Mother Mary is streaming on HBO Max.

Source: Polygon