4. Real setting not a suburban Disneyland 5. Cool and stylish direction that thankfully restrained itself when you thought you were just about to witness something that might need a sick bag. 6. Make up and prosthetics that showed you stuff you definitely won't see in the average Horror. I could go on but you really need to see this if you like Horror and it deserves to be seen by a wider audience although I doubt ti will succeed with a multiplex crowd

galore, the story and themes within the film were strong enough not to need the usual cheap thrills one might expect in a horror film, in fact I think the film wouldn't have been as good were there more gore. On top of this, the characters were interesting/well developed and thanks to a couple of good casting calls and better performances namely Katharine Isabelle and Tristan Risk I found it easy to connect to them in the 103 minutes I watched them on screen.As many others have commented, it's rare to find female horror directors that manage to hit the nail on the head quite as well as the Twisted Twins have manged to here, fingers crossed for a next project equally as exciting.

whole time just staring at the TV i couldn't turn away i had to find out what was gonna happen next, my phone rang i ignored it haha nothing was gonna stop me from watching even for a second. It had it all Torture, Strong Violent Content, Disturbing Images, Sexual Content, Nudity,Blood all the perfect ingredient's needed to make a great horror movie.Mary Mason is played by Katharine Isabelle who was PERFECT for both her acting in the film and the part, i don't think i could picture anyone else playing the part of Mary Mason now, it just wouldn't be the same. I'm looking forward to seeing what The Soska Sisters come up with next! I recommend to everyone reading this to watch this movie! http://www.plentyofhorror.com

which will take place on January 21st. I have been fortunate enough to attend two screenings of the movie so far this year and so what can the uninitiated expect from the unexpected sensation of 2012?The story centres around a young, gifted medical student named Mary Mason Katharine Isabelle who, whilst being exceptionally capable, is suffering from extraneous pressures caused by financial and personal difficulties. This, inevitably, affects her ability to devote her full and undivided attention to her studies. Her fragmented academic performance does not go unnoticed by her tutor, who curtly reprimands her, threatening her exclusion from the class lest she falter once again. The strain builds and Mary is forced to look into new potential methods of financially supporting herself. Without giving too much away, her investigations lead her further from the conventional world of surgery and deeper into the underground realm of extreme body modification. The reason that I am choosing not to divulge more of the story is that American Mary manages to be one of the few horror movies which I have watched this year that genuinely had me guessing as to what would happen next. The Soskas manage to veer away from almost every pitfall and stereotype that mars so many genre features. What I found particularly effective was their definition of character. This was present, not only in the gender roles which were beautifully constructed, but in the very idea of our own personal perception. The unforgettable Beatress Johnson Tristan Risk is without a doubt one of the strongest on screen presences in the movie, the pathos which she creates elicits is reminiscent of Tod Browning's 'Freaks'. Indeed, just as Browning portrayed 'regular' society as beastly and cruel whilst simultaneously highlighting the sense of camaraderie and familial ties which existed amongst his outcasts, Jen and Sylvia Soska examine similar themes. There is strength to the female characters in the movie which manages to remain both honest and believable. They are neither over-exaggerated butch heroines, nor are they whimpering slasher fodder. They are well constructed, authentic characters with depth that combines faults and strengths in a testament to the writing skills of the twins. Tension is built throughout and plays alongside a growing air of intrigue and suspense, the like of which is very unique to this movie. American Mary is a blood soaked dreamscape which completely immerses to the extent that the running time simply flashes by. There is so much that remains to be said on the subject. This is not only an exceptionally well made horror film, this is a turning point.Colin McCracken also writes extensively at his website zombiehamster.com and can be found on Twitter as @zombiehamster

time with the horror genre. There's a little of the David Cronenberg, even David Lynch about it. Bonus; the classical music on the soundtrack especially at the end was lovely enough for me to seek out on the Net.

a little longer, maybe i just wanted more lol. i still recommend a watch if you like this sort of movie.

And it works that way. Social commentary and other things included of course. Watch it if you can

run afoul, fowl just isn't an adequate substitute for the real thing. And just when you think you know where the film is going, our hearts are touched by Mary's benevolent foray into a world few are aware of. So begins the occasionally chilling, often twisted odyssey of "American Mary." There's much praise to go around for this talented ensemble cast but, more than anyone, it's the exquisite Katherine Isabelle who brings the Soskas' script to life. Isabelle so inhabits Mary that she creates a totally original, unique character that raises the bar for all the actors around her. The reversal of roles in this narrative is clever and crafty. To be more specific would reveal too much. Things are not as they seem as stereotypes are shattered at every step of the way.The look of "American Mary" is a study in the almost-forgotten techniques of creative filmmaking. Single point lighting is used liberally, as Mary moves in and out of the shadows of the strange new world she's created. More than in most modern films, the color palette is central to subliminal psychological changes transmitted to the viewer. Black, the color of death, and red, the color of love and blood , dominate in key scenes and trigger subtle emotional cues that slyly blend in with the milieu.Peter Allen's original score magnificently balances contrapuntally with the gruesome on screen action. Lush classical strains underscore unimaginable real-life horrors. We're watching a ballet of death. The more terrifying the images, the more charming and delightful is the opera in our heads. The beauty of the soundtrack belies the ugliness beneath."American Mary" boasts some of the most stunning camera-work of the festival. Cinematographer Brian Pearson exhibits such passion for the material that every frame is like a painting. Editor Bruce MacKinnon allows the film to proceed patiently, another departure from the typical genre production. Locations are like characters unto themselves, and the set design reflects that with tremendous attention to detail that allows the photography and music to work together with the backdrop to help propel the story.This is true art, rarely seen in cinema today. It's a slightly more civilized, 21st century take on torture porn with high production values and a killer narrative but there's much more here than meets the eye. Yes, it's hard to watch at times, but those who appreciate movies the way they used to be made won't want to turn away. In "American Mary" we gorily discover that hell hath no fury like a female surgeon scorned.

lately you'll look past some little stuff. It's shot very well, especially the tracking shots. I'm obviously not a film student or film maker but I think it's a good looking movie with some nice, thought out shots. The gore is very well done, which is a must for a horror film. There's nothing that takes me out of a movie quicker than bad CG, especially CG blood, the CG looks to be kept to a minimum and the film is better for it. Like I said, the gore is very well done but this movie does a great job of implying gore as well. It's very easy to just show whats happening but leaving it up to the viewer to determine what's going on leads to a much richer experience. American Mary also has a bit of humor to it, at least I thought so, but maybe I'm a little messed up. The humor is very dark though, kind of like Excision, and it just added to my enjoyment of this movie. The acting isn't the biggest strength of this movie, it's not SyFy movie bad, but the lead Katharine Isabelle does a really great job. She's a genre veteran, Ginger Snaps & Freddy vs Jason, and very likable for the most part. Beatress is another character that I liked, she was a ton of fun and her makeup looked great I hope it was makeup . One complaint though about the Soska Twins, they should never and I mean never act again. It really is that bad, I'm not exaggerating.American Mary is a fantastic movie, it does so much well and is a must see for horror fans. This will be one of favorites of the year and I think has some re-watchability. This is first movie I've seen from the Soska Twins, but after watching this I'm definitely a fan. These two are part of the future of horror and the future looks pretty good.