Hunter Schafer stars in David Lowery’s ‘Mother Mary,’ now in wide theatrical release

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• 🔥 Quick Facts
• What Critics Are Saying About This Psychosexual Pop Drama
• The Plot Centers on Two Estranged Friends and Supernatural Terror
• A24 and David Lowery Create Visual Spectacle with Ambitious Visuals
• Hunter Schafer’s Supporting Role in a Star-Studded Ensemble Cast
• Will Mother Mary Find Box Office Success Now in Wide Release?
  • Sources

Hunter Schafer returns to the big screen in David Lowery‘s audacious psychological thriller Mother Mary, now in wide theatrical release across America. The visually stunning A24 film officially expanded nationwide on April 24, showcasing a star-studded ensemble that pairs Oscar-winning Anne Hathaway with acclaimed Michaela Coel in a surreal exploration of fame, friendship, and artistic redemption.

What Critics Are Saying About This Psychosexual Pop Drama

Mother Mary has sparked conversation among film critics since its limited debut two weeks ago. David Ehrlich of IndieWire awarded the film an A-minus grade, writing that it captures ‘surfaces as simple as the lyrics of a pop song, and depths as rich and boundless as the feelings that same pop song might summon.’ The film’s Rotten Tomatoes consensus acknowledges that Anne Hathaway delivers a credible pop star performance in ‘a modish psychodrama that can be frustratingly obtuse but has style to spare.’

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave it 3 out of 4 stars, describing it as a two-hander that blends The Exorcist‘s dark spirituality with Lady Gaga‘s theatrical visual language. Metacritic reports a score of 58 out of 100 from 34 critics, indicating ‘mixed or average’ reviews, suggesting divisive but passionate responses.

The Plot Centers on Two Estranged Friends and Supernatural Terror

The film follows Mother Mary, an iconic pop star preparing for a comeback performance after an onstage accident. Anne Hathaway‘s character flees to the English countryside to reconnect with Sam Anselm, her estranged former costume designer played by Michaela Coel. With just three days until her show, tensions escalate as decades of resentment surface between the two women.

The narrative takes supernatural turns involving ghostly manifestations and surreal horror elements. Hunter Schafer appears as Hilda, an assistant character who witnesses the climactic concert performance. The story explores themes of artistic collaboration, betrayal, and how two broken women must confront their past to achieve redemption and professional success together.

A24 and David Lowery Create Visual Spectacle with Ambitious Visuals

Production Element	Details
Director/Writer	David Lowery
Runtime	112 minutes
Cinematography	Andrew Droz Palermo and Rina Yang
Score Composer	Daniel Hart

David Lowery, known for The Green Knight and A Ghost Story, brought his signature poetic restraint and visual ambition to this project. The filmmaker drew inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola‘s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, citing Taylor Swift‘s Reputation Stadium Tour film as a key reference for concert sequences. Daniel Hart composed the score while Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX provided original songs, with FKA Twigs also contributing an original track.

‘It’s all rather vague and uncertain, like the contours of a rotting old friendship; the movie’s surfaces are as simple as the lyrics of a pop song, and its depths as rich and boundless as the feelings that same pop song might summon.’

—David Ehrlich, IndieWire

Hunter Schafer’s Supporting Role in a Star-Studded Ensemble Cast

Hunter Schafer, best known for her role in Euphoria, takes on the supporting character Hilda alongside a powerhouse cast. The ensemble includes FKA Twigs as Imogen, Jessica Brown Findlay as Tessa, Kaia Gerber as Nikki, Sian Clifford as Jade, and Alba Baptista as Miel Contrera. The supporting actors form Mother Mary‘s inner circle, witnessing the clash between the pop icon and her estranged fashion designer collaborator.

According to IndieWire, Schafer was ‘mind-blown’ during her time on set filming Lowery’s ambitious vision. In interviews before the April 24 wide release, the cast discussed the theater-like staging of scenes and the film’s exploration of female friendship spanning decades. Lowery structured the narrative as an intimate chamber piece, allowing his ensemble to inhabit carefully crafted emotional moments.

Will Mother Mary Find Box Office Success Now in Wide Release?

A24‘s initial limited run on April 17 pulled in modest numbers, with the film earning approximately $1.5 million worldwide during its opening weekend. The production required a $20 million investment, marking a significant bet on Lowery’s artistic vision. With the April 24 wide expansion, the film now competes in a crowded theatrical marketplace where audiences must embrace experimental storytelling and supernatural melodrama over conventional narratives.

The critical divide suggests Mother Mary will appeal to art-house audiences and fans of David Lowery‘s previous work rather than mainstream multiplexes. Rotten Tomatoes audiences have given mixed feedback, while critics remain fascinated by its ambition, visual design, and performances. Whether Hunter Schafer, Anne Hathaway, and Michaela Coel‘s star power translates to box office returns during the wide release remains to be seen.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Comprehensive Mother Mary (2026 film) production and critical reception data
• Rotten Tomatoes – Critical consensus and user review aggregation
• IndieWire – David Ehrlich’s A-minus review and production analysis