The Last Thing Mary Saw is a dark and twisted movie that takes a little while to get going, but once it does viewers are in for a treat.
Set in 1843, The Last Thing Mary Saw immediately has all the potential to be dark, creepy, and twisted — something that it completely pulls off. The unfortunate side of that is that it takes a while to get there, about a quarter of the movie, perhaps a little more. The reason is set up, that will be paid off, but it goes on a tad too long. Overall though, this movie is very much a horror-thriller combo that will have audiences intensely watching the screen to see what happens next.
In The Last Thing Mary Saw, Mary and the home’s maid, Eleanor, are in love, something that is very much looked down upon in her religious household. Their punishments become more and more severe, eventually being threatened with death. They still cannot help but embrace each other, and find a lookout to help them sneak around. When a stranger shows up, things get even worse for them, creating some seriously intense moments.
What Works In The Last Thing Mary Saw
The story told in this movie is an intriguing one. The way that it jumps back and forth between Mary standing with a blindfold on and blood dripping from her eyes telling the story surrounding her grandmother’s death to someone, and then back into the story itself works. It is not always that this way of storytelling is pulled off, as jumping around can be confusing, but this is done perfectly.
After the first half of the movie, things really start to pick up and get more and more intense. There is one scene in particular that is very hard to watch, but is there for a reason. Big trigger warning here though – it is a rape scene. In an effort to keep away from spoilers that is all that will be said but it is difficult to stomach.
Toward the end there is a long period of near silence. The way this is worked into the plot is done very well, and this silence brings everything up a level. It creates an intense and suspenseful atmosphere, and will have viewers on the edge of their seats just waiting for someone to speak, or something to happen. When it does, they will be jumping out of said seat, for sure.
The way that things are tied up at the end, with a bit of a twist that was predictable, but still appreciated, makes this movie a must watch. Even for those who feel like it was too long a set up, the payoff is there, and it is worth it. Not to mention that very last shot of the movie is chilling.
What Doesn’t Work In The Last Thing Mary Saw
A lot of this movie takes place at night, and so it is very dark. Like, literally dark. There are times where it is hard to see, which can be frustrating. This seems to get better as the movie goes on, or perhaps eyes are just adjusting.
As stated above, this movie is quite slow to start. It feels like it takes nearly 45 minutes to really pick up and get to where it is going, which is fantastic once it does. The set up time could have been cut down to about 25 or 30 minutes and it would have flowed much better.
Overall Thoughts
The Last Thing Mary Saw is a dark and intense thriller that once it gets to where it is going, is terrifying. The blood is done well, and the score makes suspenseful moments, even more suspenseful. It does have some triggering events that should be mentioned, and can be tough to watch at times. However it is all worth it because the last 30 minutes are brilliant, captivating, and creepy as hell.
This movie might take a little while to get into, but it is worth it in the end when that third act finishes up. Don’t forget to watch until the very, very end.
About The Last Thing Mary Saw
Southold, New York, 1843: Young Mary (Stefanie Scott), blood trickling from behind the blindfold tied around her eyes, is interrogated about the events surrounding her grandmother’s death. As the story jumps back in time, we witness Mary, raised in a repressively religious household, finding fleeting happiness in the arms of Eleanor (Isabelle Fuhrman), the home’s maid.
Her family, who believe they are seeing, speaking, and acting on God’s behalf, view the girls’ relationship as an abomination, to be dealt with as severely as possible. The couple attempt to carry on in secret, but someone is always watching, or listening, and the wages of perceived sin threaten to become death, with the tension only heightened by the arrival of an enigmatic stranger (Rory Culkin) and the revelation of forces other than the Lord at work.
The Last Thing Mary Saw is playing that the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.