Transcript note: This transcript is based on the original working script. It may contain production notes, draft wording, spelling mistakes or other material that differs from the finished video - these scripts were meant to be spoken, not read.

American Mary isn't a comfortable film to watch.

American Mary is colder, more clinical and more personal than its peers.

That's why it endures with a warning attached

It's not misunderstood and it's not ahead of its time.

And nor is it torture porn, or an early attempt at prestige horror.

So - What does make American Mary - Cult, Actually.

[intro]

In 2012 we were introduced to Mary by the Soska Sisters, and she was brought to life by Katherine Isabelle.

It’s a tale as old as time, kinda - Mary is a Medical Student who is struggling to pay her bills -

And, so - She turns to working in a strip club as a way to bring in some extra money.

Nothing wrong with that - Honest work.

But, before she can even get through the interview her medical training comes into play -

Turns out that the owner of the club has other interests.

One of which has ended up with a man bleeding to death in the basement.

He offers Mary $5000 if she can take care of the problem there and then - Which, she reluctantly agrees to.

And then - Well, it gets interesting.

The next day Mary finds out her details have found their way into the hands of one of the other girls working at the club, and she has a friend who needs help.

A… Different kind of help.

Mary finds herself pulled into the kind of body modification work most doctors won’t touch.

She finds herself being asked to perform - well - outside of the box operations

Her introduction to that world being a lady who wants to be more doll-like, literally.

She’s trying to become a living doll. An actual living doll, and all that comes with it.

But - She’s struggled to find a Surgeon who’ll complete the final pieces

Let’s just say they are the last, extreme, modifications.

For a nice payday, of course.

Again. Mary agrees and does the operation, pockets the money - And moves on.

She wishes.

She finds herself part of the body modification scene, and doing quite well for herself, both inside and out of school.

Turns out she’s got a bit of a knack for this kind of work and soon she’s been asked to do all kinds of modifications.

It’s not long before her confidence gets herself noticed by the tutors at the college - She gets invited to a party with a few of them after they seem impressed by her.

Feeling honoured she puts on her best dress and joins in the fun - Because, why not?

Only - Not all is as it seems - She’s been brought there under false pretences and before long her drink has been spiked, and she gets attacked.

The next day her memory is hazy, but not so hazy that she doesn’t remember what's happened to her.

This is where her story changes.

She uses her underground contacts and arranges for her attacker to be brought to the place where she’s been doing her extra curricular procedures - And then - Proceeds to use him for practice.

Now - That might sound grim - And that’s because it is.

From here - It’s easy to mistake the film and assume it’s shocking for shocks sake.

It’s not.

Truthfully -

Considering the content, there is a lot worse to be seen more graphically on screen -

FIlms like Saw, or Hostel are far worse when it comes to torture content.

American Mary isn’t about body modification, really - And it’s not really a revenge thriller either, they just happen to collide into each other.

It’s more about ownership.

Of your body, of your trauma - And yes - Your identity.

It’s not about exploitation - It never plays that card.

For the most part, people watching it are going to be - Uncomfortable - But the film doesn’t leer at its characters.

The body mod community of the film aren’t punchlines or freak show attractions.

And in fact, many of Mary's patients are real life members of the body modification community.

This by the way includes the Soska Sisters themselves, Jen and Sylvia the writers and directors playing the demon twins

Each of the patients are portrayed as being self aware and taking great joy in their transformations - Fair play.

It’s a bold choice - And, more than that - It’s a brave choice considering that it’s a genre that normally treats physical difference as a shorthand for horror.

It takes some getting used to for Mary at first, but - Once she’s acclimatised to it all - She isn’t phased by what she’s asked to do.

What does bother Mary is the hypocrisy.

The wealthy surgeons who humiliate her.

The academic elitism.

The horror here isn’t from the altered bodies, it’s from the systems of power.

And that kind of clarity of themes is one of the reasons the films stuck with people over the years.

The aesthetics of it all help as well.

It’s kind of like it belongs in a different decade.

Like a 90s psychological thriller wandered into a grindhouse.

Neon soaked clubs, cold surgical blues - Static framing.

It’s got a, stillness to it - Long pauses with a minimal score underneath.

It might not have the highest budget, but that doesn’t mean it’s cheap either.

There are moments where the camera holds on Mary's face, just a touch too long - And it works to just anchor the film somewhat.

All of the special effects are practical as well-which gives the film a tangible reality that CGI just can't touch

And it was all shot in just 15 days - kind of impressive when you step back and take a look at what they achieved.

Katharine Isabelle doesn’t play her as a “final girl” - She’s detached, calculating even - But never hysterical.

When the film makes its pivot into revenge territory - You might think it’d get cathartic, but it doesn’t - Not in the way you might expect at least.

It’s why the film never made it into the mainstream - The audience is denied any comfort - In the way that cult films often do.

Unlike other cult darlings of a similar vein, American Mary didn’t collapse under scandal or any kind of studio interference.

It simply sat outside the system - staring in with its nose pressed up against the window.

It was too indie for the full cinema experience, too stylish for the prestige lot and simply too confrontational for casual viewers.

The horror fans though? - Yeah - They noticed.

It began to make itself known by convention screenings, streaming services and probably most of all - Word of mouth.

Normally proceeded with “It’s not for everybody, but…”

It landed firmly in cult territory.

For those that have seen it - There’s only really one point of contention.

The ending.

I won't spoil it - But - You don’t get the kind of ending you’d normally get from a revenge thriller.

It’s abrupt, and - Well - Cruel in some ways.

It didn’t sit well with some viewers, whereas others loved it and argue that it’s kind of the point, to have no point.

I sit somewhere in the middle - It’s bleak, but - Honest.

Mary built her world - One where she could control everything - But the randomness of violence.

It could be said the ending is another reason it thrives and still gets discussed.

It’s not a perfect film, far from it.

The dialogue can be clunky, the shifts in tone are sharp sometimes.

But it does feel personal and distinct - And that counts.

American Mary isn’t a safe, crowd pleasing horror - It dares you to lean in, or - Back away.

The ones who lean in? - They’re the ones that tend to stay.

It carved out it’s space, a sterile, neon-lit and unapologetic space and took up residency.

It’s not perfect, it’s not comfortable and it is unmistakably its own.

Anyways.

I’ve been Paul and American Mary is Cult, Actually.

If you’ve enjoyed this video, do me a favour and drop it a like.

Subscribe as well if you want while you’re there - Or, don’t - I’m not going anywhere.

And, hopefully - I shall catch you on the next Rewind.

Thanks for watching.