While it is not flashy, gory, or shocking, The Last Thing Mary Saw patiently builds the dread with a wonderful combination of silence, settings, and atmosphere. The actors understand their roles as the director guides them through a creepy journey that is consistently eerie from start to finish.
The setting begins in Southold, New York, 1873: Here we find Mary (Stefanie Scott) bound, with blood slowly coming down her face from behind her blindfold, being interrogated about the events that happened in her home. Jumping back in time a bit, we see Mary growing up in a horrifically repressive household, finding fleeting bits of happiness in the company of the home’s maid Eleanor (Isabelle Fuhrman). This is, of course, an abomination, according to the family, which requires punishment. The tension builds as a stranger arrives (Rory Culkin), and it soon becomes clear there are greater forces at work.
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Writer and director Edoardo Vitaletti (helming his first feature) does a terrific job creating tension right from the start of the film. From there, the atmosphere of the house, the dim lighting, the eerie silences, all make the house almost a character itself. Switching between characters slowly at times, swiftly at others, Vitaletti makes the setting a truly creepy and eerie place to tell his tale. The house and those who dwell in it feel completely isolated, and each creak of the floorboards, each shadow cast in the corners, makes this seem like a truly terrible place to grow up in.
Both Stefanie Scott and Isabelle Fuhrman do a great job in conveying that they are, indeed, suffering in silence. The silence is a key component to making this film work as they, and the rest of the cast, have moments relying on facial features alone to build the tension and dread that is needed. Judith Roberts is very effective as the grandmother, with very few lines but an imposing presence that you can feel every time she is in a scene.
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The most curious part of the film was in the final act, which included The Intruder/Stranger, played by Rory Culkin. His character does play an important role but it also shifts the feeling of the film, sometimes not in a positive way. Whether it was Culkin himself or the way his character was written, a few scenes just didn’t mesh well with what had been built up until that point.
Still, The Last Thing Mary Saw was a solid film by Vitaletti and everyone involved. The eerie, dread-filled atmosphere was consistent, making for a great watch overall. If you want to do a period horror film, this is a great example of how to do it right.
The Last Thing Mary Saw has been acquired by Shudder for a 2022 release.
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