The Last Thing Mary Saw is a 2021 feature film written and directed by Edoardo Vitaletti. Laced with foreboding tension and dripping with a primordial palpable sense of dread, The Last Thing Mary Saw is a slow-burn trek into the cult-like extremes that religious fervor can bring. The religious, prayer-filled horror and thriller movie is included in the virtual lineup for 2021’s Fantasia Film Festival. Even better, the film was picked up by AMC Networks’ Shudder and was released to the streaming platform sometime in 2022.
There is no question from the start that what we are going to get with this film is anything but a methodical pace. There is nothing that is going to flash by, nothing that will be a reprieve from anything outside of the haunting world set in this isolated farmhouse in the year 1843. This immediate feeling of claustrophobia lines not only the characters of the film but also the audience. We simply aren’t leaving in a parallel take which each person in the story may hope to be able to do.
The color palette and cinematography set the visual tone that is completely in line as well. The atmosphere is dark, lit only through candlelight at night while maintaining a sense of overcast with each passing day. The dread is serious and engaging. There is an immediate visual similarity that those who frequent the indie movie scene will notice in the vein of the horror classic The Witch in terms of style and some theming. Of course, The Last Thing Mary Saw takes place a little further ahead in the historical timeline.
Can I Get A Hail Mary?
This film nails the period aesthetic with the clothing, food, and even dialect throughout the topic of history. Each character exudes and embodies their parts to a wonderful degree. The acting across the board is fantastic with an easy air of believability that is well delivered. The pacing of each camera movement and lack thereof culminates in the film in a much-appreciated fashion. Again, this plays into the glacial pace that the piece wants to embrace from start to finish.
That isn’t to say that things aren’t dialed up when they need to be. Several moments of the film ratchet up the tension smartly, knowing exactly when to feed the audience enough payoff to keep things interesting. With that in mind, the ending is a worthy finale of everything that has been building up as well.
The Last Thing Mary Saw brings about a rewarding watch for those who enjoy their horror with a spoonful of patience. It is a movie that will easily stick with you after viewing and never falters in the period aesthetic it sets out to deliver. A solid film that stands close to the so-called “smart horror,” that we have seen come into fashion over the last few years.
The Last Thing Mary Saw
Gets 4 Hail Marys out of 5
The Last Thing Mary Saw
- Director: Edoardo Vitaletti,
Writer: Edoardo Vitaletti,
The Cast of The Last Thing Mary Saw: Rory Culkin, Isabelle Fuhrman, Judith Roberts, Stefanie Scott.
