Fantasia International Film Festival brings audiences the feature-film debut of writer and director Edoardo Vitaletti. The Last Thing Mary Saw is one part sapphic story of forbidden love and one part supernatural thriller. The film begins as Mary is questioned following horrific events at her home in the winter of 1843. As she begins to recount the events that lead her here, we begin to understand the inevitability of the tragedy she experienced. The plot weaves back and forth between the “present” as Mary is questioned and the past to show what she experienced while also dividing these events into chapters. It is dark, moody, and intriguing from start to finish.

The Last Thing Mary Saw is filled with many familiar faces for horror fans including Stefanie Scott (Insidious: Chapter 3), Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Rory Culkin (Scream 4), and Judith Roberts (Dead Silence). Each of them delivers very memorable performances, but the chemistry between Scott and Fuhrman makes these two stand out. The film also boasts beautiful costume and set designs to transport the audience to 1843. The story does fall victim to an unfortunate trope in horror and certain aspects of the plot might not be fully explained, but for the most part everything comes together by the time the credits roll. As a whole, The Last Thing Mary Saw is a breathtaking debut for Vitaletti and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

The Last Thing Mary Saw is a tragically haunting film that takes the audience on an unexpected, suspenseful journey.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10