Ah, American Mary, this is one of those films you have probably not seen. Hell, most people have not even heard of it, which is a shame, because it is a great film.
American Mary is the story of…. Mary (Shocker, huh), she is a lovely med student honing her skills in surgery, and like most students she is broke and looking for away to earn money. This leads Mary into the world of extreme body mods…
I think the real story is Mary’s descent from everything she knows into a world that is upside down to her and I am willing to bet most of the viewers. As Mary herself changes, the lines between good and bad also blur, and this is where the film shines.
I don’t want to give too much away because it is a good film. I always enjoy the acting of Katharine Isabelle, she got my attention in the Ginger Snaps Trilogy and I have been a fan ever since. The other character that stood out the most in the movie is Tristan Risk’s character Beatress, a woman that has transformed herself to cartoon proportions. Every character was well done, in my humble opinion, in fact I had to check that Tristan’s character was a character and that she was not that modded. (Which she is not, at least that I can tell). The writing/directing team the Soska sisters make a short appearance, the other film that they are known for is Dead Hooker in a Trunk.
This film is not for the faint of heart as the violence is somewhat realistic, not gory. I will also warn that their is a rape scene, it is not long and drawn out as in movies like I Spit on Your Grave, but it is there. All that being said, I think that the torture and gore is appropriate for the film.
In short, if your not squeamish this is a good film, if the sisters keep putting out films like this, they have a fan in me.
If you haven’t, check out Hellevator on Netflix. It is hosted by the Soska Sisters and it is a lot of fun. Season 2 beings October 7th on the Game Show Network.
