Speaking as an enthusiastic proponent of haunted boat movies, Mary is a lackluster entry in this niche nautical subgenre. Propelled solely by family drama punctuated with cheap, audio-based jump scares, the story lacks any real build-up, making the conclusion feel unearned. Gary Oldman and Emily Mortimer did the best they could with the script they were given, but bland dialogue and rare instances of legitimate tension made the eighty-six minute runtime feel so much longer. The main threat of the film was messy at best, with confusing lore and questionable motives on the part of the antagonist. If playing with superstition was the aim, Mary missed the mark.
