Mary is a strange sort of film. It’s a lower tier horror effort in every sense but with a respectable cast. How did this happen? I mean, it HAPPENS, but it’s rare when it does and…why? It’s hard to believe that Gary Oldman was that desperate for work and Emily Mortimer and Jennifer Esposito are both fine actresses so…what happened?
Mary is the story of a sea captain in desperate need of a change and a big dollop of luck. Taking a chance on a ship that had been found abandoned and lost at sea, the man decides to bet on himself and in the dream of owning his own charter. After fixing the ship up the family decides to hit the seas for a test run to see how everything goes. What should be an easy and fun voyage becomes dangerous when the cursed past of the ship slowly starts to return, putting everyone that sailing on her in jeopardy.
This is your basic haunted house film just moved to a ship. There’s a fair amount of atmosphere and it’s generally well filmed, using the cramped sets to create tension and unease. That actors all do an admirable job with an admittedly one-dimensional plot and acquit themselves well to the horror. It really is worth mentioning too because many actors would have cashed their check and checked out on the film but no one does that here, they are all into the story and film and none of them really come off as the weak link. The weak link is in a very well-worn plot with no surprises and too much off screen action. Throw in a cheesy ‘Japanese Horror’ styled witch and you have a film that had an opportunity to memorable popcorn becomes just another forgettable high seas creeper that is taking on too much water.
No, it’s not a bad film worse than that it’s a mediocre film.
It’s a film you will see and begin to forget not long after it’s finished, and that’s about as miserable a thing as there is in horror.
2 out of 5
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The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 