While American Mary may be uneven in places in terms of performance, writing and tone, it starts off on solid footing, giving us a protagonist who’s passionate about what she does but lacks the ability to live within her means, taking desperate and increasingly dangerous risks to stay afloat. There’s some real standout scenes, such as the surgical procedures done with practical effects, or the morning after a brutal assault that’s not brushed off or treated in a trivial manner. There’s some over the top performances, most of which feel in keeping with the tone, but some are just outlandish for the sake of it. The second half cant measure up to the first, as the film scrambles to push its premise further and further but just ends up repeating itself. I do admire how the filmmakers got actual members of the body modification community to participate, rather than just using cheap prosthetics or bad CGI. The film doesn’t really address why people seek treatments like this, especially with the inherent risks involved, but it does make for some striking visuals, and the allusions to Takashi Miike’s Audition are scattered throughout. The whole thing feels like a concept that never had time to be fully fleshed out, and as a result subplots such as the cop investigating the murders and disappearances comes and goes and never has any effect on the central storyline. It would have been great to see what the filmmakers could have come up with had they been given more time and increased budget, but what we got is still satisfying and interesting enough for me to recommend it.

‘American Mary’ Is Intentionally Sculpted

Awesome slice of gritty '00s horror. Katherine Isabelle is an unsung scream queen

Um ótimo filme de vingança, que dessa vez envolve uma estudante de medicina, e usa isso a la Dexter. Temos também a mistura de pessoas que gostam de mutilações corporais consensuais, um setor pouco explorado nos filmes. Me decepcionou o final do filme, torcia que tivesse uma continuação.

I'll give it credit for its slick camera and lighting work. Some of the support acting was a little hit and miss. But the story felt a little too absurd... wish they had toned it down and made it more realistic. Maybe a little less gore would have made the gory bits more pronounced..

The story is kinda loose and sloppy, but American Mary is a truly fascinating character in unordinary circumstances.

The first half was very interesting but it completely flops in the second half and finishes with an underwhelming ending. There are so many directions they could have gone with the plot but they just ran it into the ground. Also, I wouldn't quite classify this as a "horror" movie as it isn't scary - but it does have some cartoonish gore.

American Mary is a unique movie in every aspect. From characters to story, it was a whole different experience. Little bit slow-burn but doesn't bother you at all. Pace is catchy. Tristan Risk's character is a wonderful must-watch.

HOT GARBAGE! Slow paced, dull, poor acting, I don't think this movie even deserves curious watch. Story line doesn't even make any logical sense.

This film is sensual and endearing. I became very fond of Mary and her character development. She becomes confident as she begins her own work in body modification. Her work is very intriguing as it gets more intense as she goes.

A strong performance by Isabelle and surprisingly little gore makes for an entertaining romp on the dark side of body mod.

Fun idea. Unfortunately the movie doesn't really focus that much on the original premise. Also most of the acting is bad, and the script is even worse. The main character was okay. I think more could've been done with this. I'd like to see a remake by someone more capable with more focus on body horror and less on a confusing and generic revenge story. This movie is more about a certain aesthetic than anything else. I know people who would love this, I'm just not one of them.

A little more gothic than I usually like but the lead stole the show here 3.4

It's a great revenge film against rapists. It's awesome to finally see a woman who becomes a psycho and shows no remorse for those who took advantage of her. It's somewhat gory, if you have any fear of seeing how a human being gets any body parts cut and bleed. However, this is an eye-for an eye. Just like Law Abiding Citizen. 😂😂😂. It has its funny moments in the midst of all the goryness. And awesome to discover the man who started her in her revenge ends up falling in love with her, despite her patchiness, and yet so afraid of her, knowing what she is capable of doing if he ever betrays her. Katharine Isabelle is a great actor. Anyone who watched Ginger Snaps, will remember who she is. Little did I know there was a Ginger Snaps II. I fell in love with Katharine after watching American Mary. Really recommend it!!!

8/10 stylish and brutal with a great lead performance.

Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle) is a financially struggling medical student who, through a fortuitous set of circumstances, finds herself in the lucrative black-market field of body modification. From the creatively twisted minds of Jen and Sylvia Soska, American Mary starts out as a wry commentary about how we perceive ourselves and, perhaps, how others perceive us, and is an entertaining and well-executed observation of an unusual sub-culture. Isabelle is fantastic in the lead role, reacting to horrific circumstances with a bemused and deadpan delivery. Sadly, things tail off considerably over the second half of the film as Mary herself becomes unhinged and the movie seems to degenerate into your standard, albeit well-made, ugly horror movie. The bottom line? It's half of a really good movie.

Katharine Isabelle was fantastic, but body horror is not my fave subgenre. I also just … could not figure out how the filmmakers ultimately wanted the viewer to feel about Mary?

American Mary - R (1h 43m) 2012 - Drama, Horror 4/5 stars Whoa! After watching "The Age of the Hobbits" I needed something a little more appropriate for the first day of spooky season. So I continued my journey of films I own and haven't seen. It was then that I started "American Mary" (ironically named since it was a Canadian production.) The film, directed by The Soska Sisters, Jen Soska, and Sylvia Soska (who also star in the movie) was a great surprise. I had rather low expectations. I wasn't sure what to expect, I didn't know much about it other than the cover intrigued me enough to buy it. Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) stars in the film and while I admit I have a soft spot for "Ginger Snaps," she takes this film and makes it her own! I have a few issues with some scenes (I'd consider unnecessary but this was made in 2012 and we were living in a different landscape at the time.) Overall this was a great experience, the perfect mix of gore, with a fun script. The acting suffered with some of the minor characters and the ending could've used some work but overall I enjoyed it a lot. I wish that it would receive a boutique release instead of just a cut and dry blu-ray. Definitely a deserving film that I feel flies under the radar. #americanmary #horror #katharineisabelle #gingersnaps #soskasisters #seenoevil #verastone #theorder #margotverger #marymason #gingerfitzgerald #horrormovies #hannibal #katharineisabelleedit #horrorfilm #twistedtwins #fashion #actress #canadianactress #photoshoot #screamqueen #theordernetflix #horrormovie #beauty #horrorcommunity #canadian #margotvergeredit #netflix #blackmagic

American Mary stars scream queen Katharine Isabelle as Mary, a struggling med student desperate to generate some much-needed funds. She finds herself embedded in the world of black market, extreme body modification where she earns and the title "Bloody Mary" for her willingness to perform even the most grotesque of surgeries. Although this world gives her prominence, her demons ultimately catch up with her. Penned and directed by the Soska Sisters (Jen & Sylvia), this body horror film is not for the squeamish or faint of heart.

Well directed but terribly written mess full of loose ends and half-assed developments that go nowhere. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they shot a first draft. Of course it'd be critically acclaimed!