American Mary (18)

Film

AmericanMary.jpg

Time Out rating:

<strong>Rating: </strong>4/5

User ratings:

<strong>Rating: </strong>4/5
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Time Out says

Mon Dec 24 2012

Once in a while, a mould-breaking horror movie signals the arrival of a unique talent: doubly so in this case, since this bracingly perverse ‘body modification’ tale was made by Canadian twins Jen and Sylvia Soska, aka the Twisted Sisters. When her medical studies are ended by a trauma that shatters her life and career, Mary (Katharine Isabelle) finds herself moonlighting as the surgeon of choice for ‘body mod’ extremists such as Ruby Realgirl (Paula Lindberg), who seeks doll-like perfection by having all traces of her sexuality sliced off. Mary is then befriended by surgically altered Betty Boop-lookalike Beatress Johnson (Tristan Risk), embraced by the marginal ‘body mod’ community and empowered to take scalpel-wielding revenge on Dr Grant (David Lovgren), the man who destroyed her dreams. Unlike the Twisted Sisters’ derivative fan-girl debut, ‘Dead Hooker in a Trunk’ (2009), this sexy, scalpel-sharp feminist horror movie is driven by credible, fleshed-out characters and scarily seductive ideas. ‘American Mary’ nods savvily to the ‘body horror’ of ‘Audition’ and ‘Dead Ringers’ but still possesses a truly original, deeply disturbing vision.

Author: Nigel Floyd

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Release details

Rated:

18

UK release:

Fri Jan 11

Duration:

103 mins

Cast and crew

Director:

Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska

Screenwriter:

Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska

Cast:

Katharine Isabelle, Julia Maxwell, Antonio Cupo

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Comments & ratings

Rated as: 4/5 (4 ratings)

  • Beautifully shot for such a low budget film and it's also good to see Katherine Isabelle in a decent role after slumming it on the Sci Fi channel. I'm not a hipster either.

    Chris Upton Wed Jan 23
    Rated as: 4/5
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  • If you'd been to Time Out's offices - or indeed ever met nigel Floyd - you wouldn't be throwing the 'h' word around so freely Alex.

    tom huddleston Wed Jan 9
    Rated as: 4/5
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  • Drivel - but just what you'd expect from a hipster freesheet. Just because this embarrassing mess is directed by women doesn't make it a 'scalpel-sharp feminist horror movie'. More like an incompetent companion piece to Michael Winner's Dirty Weekend. Get a grip.

    Alex Forte Wed Jan 9
    Rated as: 1/5
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  • This is a truly erotic but disturbing film from people with wonderfully sick minds! Erotic but far from porn.Katherine Isabelle was a bit recognisable then I realised she was the lead in the wonderful Ginger Snapsis she going to ma'ke her career as an erotic diva? She cerftainly has the ,body for it! Katherine I!m a fan! So if you are pretty unshockable this movie is for you.Under nocircumstances take your mum,gran or anyone of a nervous disposition,it might harm them for life.Now and again I see a film which makewonder about the state of mind of the writer ,s me director etc,you are one sick bunch of really fun creative people bring it on,I will be very interested to see how this film manages out in the big normal world,I hope it is a commercial success as it must have cost loads to make but it might just be too offensive for many out there but not for me,Im sure it may encourage me to continue my descent into dirty old manhood!

    George J Greene Mon Oct 8 2012
    Rated as: 5/5
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