PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Director Edoardo Vitaletti’s The Last Thing Mary Saw premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival 2021 on August 15 and 17 and is, hands down, one of my favorite films I’ve seen this year. The Last Thing Mary Saw is a period occult drama set in an isolated farmhouse in the winter of 1843, where a young woman is under investigation following the mysterious death of her family’s matriarch. It soon becomes apparent that ageless forces are at play, from within and without. The film stars Rory Culkin, Isabelle Fuhrman, Judith Roberts, and Stefanie Scott.
Synopsis for The Last Thing Mary Saw
Southold, New York, 1843: Young Mary (Stefanie Scott), blood trickling from behind the blindfold tied around her eyes, is interrogated about the events surrounding her grandmother’s death. As the story jumps back in time, we witness Mary, raised in a repressively religious household, finding fleeting happiness in the arms of Eleanor (Isabelle Fuhrman), the home’s maid. Her family, who believe they are seeing, speaking, and acting on God’s behalf, view the girls’ relationship as an abomination, to be dealt with as severely as possible. The couple attempt to carry on in secret, but someone is always watching, or listening, and the wages of perceived sin threaten to become death, with the tension only heightened by the arrival of an enigmatic stranger (Rory Culkin) and the revelation of forces other than the Lord at work.
From beginning to end, The Last Thing Mary Saw is intense, captivating, and heartbreaking. Time and time again, delusional people who spew hate continue to ruin the lives of everyone around them instead of accepting those they love for who they truly are. This is a powerful and brutal story about what happens when you let hate and fear control your life and what strength and love can give you when that’s all you have left.
All of the performances are phenomenal, which isn’t surprising given a cast like this. It’s almost like these actors were born to play these roles. I’ve loved Isabelle Fuhrman since her critically acclaimed role in Orphan, and she continues to blow me away with her talent and ability to deliver such a raw and emotionally driven performance here. Stefanie Scott is equally phenomenal. I love her character’s strength and desire to fight for what she wants. Then there’s Rory Culkin, who has the innate ability to play creepy and weird every time. I promise you, Rory, this is a compliment. His character helps tie this tear-stained and heart-numbing thriller together perfectly.
The visuals are hauntingly beautiful throughout the film, and at times they are brutal. These visuals along with the lighting, and dark, gloomy tones help create an eerie and claustrophobic atmosphere that feels inescapable. The psychological, religious, and homophobic abuse is far more terrifying than any slasher or creature feature flick could ever hope to be. It leaves the audience uneasy and frustrated as the events unfold.
Final Thoughts
With its amazing cast, haunting visuals, and thrilling story, The Last Thing Mary Saw is one you don’t want to miss. I’m so excited I had an opportunity to check it out, and hope others get the chance as it makes its way through the festival circuit.
