20130916: Thriller Review--American Mary

American Mary

1. Fundamentals
1. Canadian live action feature length film, 2012, rated R, 103 minutes, horror, thriller.
2. IMDB: 6.1/10.0 from 5,740 users.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 57% on the meter; 56% from 2,717 audience ratings.
4. Written and directed by: Jen and Sylvia Soska.
5. Starring: Katharine Isabelle as Mary Mason, Antonio Cupo as Billy Barker, Tristan Risk as Beatrice Johnson, David Lovgren as Dr. Grant.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Mary is a medical student who is losing ground financially, and becoming discouraged with the field.  Her main mentor, Dr. Grant, rides her hard verbally.
2. She tries exotic dancing.  During her interview, she has the opportunity to do 'off the books surgery' for 5000 USD cash.  She opts for that instead of the dancing.
3. The initial experience is shocking, but she gets it done for the money.
4. She goes to a surgeons-only party while she's still a resident.  It turns out to be a date-rape party, and she's one of the guests of honor, so to speak.  Dr. Grant is the one who violates her.
5. She drops out of med school, and arranges to take vengeance on Grant, who disappears after her procedures are done.
6. A detective starts sniffing around, since one of Grant's colleagues suggested she might have motive.
7. Mary continues work in the body modification field, where most of the modifications are more or less illegal.
8. She makes considerable money, but the cops start to close in, and some of her underworld relationships degenerate.
9. What could possibly go wrong?


3. Conclusions
1. One sentence summary: Promising surgical student descends into an underworld of bizarre body modifications.
2. Final Rating: 4/10.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 7/10 OK, but not good.


2. Sound: 7/10 OK, but not good.


3. Acting: 4/10 The movie would have been better served without the cameo by the Soska sisters.


4. Screenplay: 4/10 The plot seems aimed only at producing shock.  The ending is dull and flat.