Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE LAST THING MARY SAW [Fantasia Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]
The essence of terror, even back beyond that of modern media, was based in the ideal of what can't be seen. Add a degree of forbidden love, puritanism and a would-be spirit and the lives spill into one another. "The Last Thing That Mary Saw" uses an effective flashback structure to encourage a sense o foreboding yet the true influences and how it builds move back and forth. Stefanie Scott plays Mary with a coy elegance (as she is the woman of class in the story) versus Eleanor played by Isabelle Furhman (of "Orphan" fame) who is the maid and the focus of affections without the protection of family. This is the romance neither can deny but Mary's parents bring in the church saying it is the scourge of the devil. The reality is that the film and its progression would have worked nicely even without the introduction of almost a MacGuffin because the domino effect of actions work perfectly well without it.
Rory Culkin's character, though ultimately unneeded beyond a plot point he brings, offers a substantial menace and a little bit of dread the film needs beyond the girls' seemingly motivated plan. A guard, himself a consequence of his actions, provides an almost Greek chorus that further forebodes the inevitable. The eventual trigger point is a long time coming but again, even without the outside spiritual force that moves the needle forward, the film works on its own merits. "Kandisha", a recent horror film set in Paris, works in its endgame in much the same way as "Mary" but with more blood. The lighting moving with alot of natural light in "Mary", gives credence to "The Witch" and its possibilities but without that true sense of loss, except in one moment where Mary's intentions adversely affect someone she hadn't meant to harm. The actions, of course, become abhorrent from either side but what the movie does is cast blame on both sides while keeping both accountable. Another side element that does up the quotient of said sequences is when the family offers silence as penance when the matriarch dies. It provides an interesting function of story in communication. B-
By Tim Wassberg
