Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- lurid
- aggressive
- disturbing
- late night horror marathon
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film stylish, gory, and darkly entertaining, while noting uneven acting, an unfocused latter half, and an underwhelming climax.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mary performs underground operations involving amputation, plastic surgery, and extreme body modification.
Mary’s response to sexual violence drives the film’s revenge arc and confronts misogynistic power.
Critics specifically note the film’s visual classicism and frequent use of a red palette.
The critical consensus highlights pitch black humor alongside gory, freakish thrills.
Films like American Mary, and why
Excision
shares graphic body horror, underground medical transgression, and feminist revenge themes
The Last House on the Left
shares rape and revenge structure, confrontational feminist anger, and bleak horror intensity
Society
shares grotesque body modification, dark humor, and transgressive horror imagery
Dead Ringers
shares stylish body horror, surgical imagery, and identity-focused psychological unease
Movie Details
- Directors
- Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska
- Release Date
- 2013-01-11
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (613)
Cast
- Katharine Isabelle
- Antonio Cupo
- Tristan Risk
- David Lovgren
- Paula Lindberg
- Clay St. Thomas
- John Emmet Tracy
- Twan Holliday
- Paul Anthony
- Nelson Wong
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Midnight Pulp, ARROW
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is American Mary about?
- A cash-strapped medical student becomes an underground surgeon whose encounters with extreme body modification propel her toward grotesque feminist revenge.
- What is American Mary like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Mary as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is American Mary violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in American Mary as graphic.
- What did critics think of American Mary?
- Critics broadly found the film stylish, gory, and darkly entertaining, while noting uneven acting, an unfocused latter half, and an underwhelming climax.
- Which films are like American Mary?
- Films with a similar feel include Excision, The Last House on the Left, Society, and Dead Ringers.
- How long is American Mary?
- American Mary runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch American Mary?
- In United States, American Mary streams on Philo, Midnight Pulp, ARROW.
