American Mary

Alt horror about a Seattle surgery drop-out is a mediocre specimen of the Canadian kinky flesh genre of "Antiviral," "Crash" and "Kissed." End credits say "For Eli Roth."

Sexy and delightfully deadpan, Katharine Isabelle absolutely kills it as loner med student Mary, so passionate about perfecting her surgical skills that she spends her evenings suturing turkey flesh.

Writer-directors Jen and Sylvia Soska don't seem to have their material completely under control, but they've created a worthy entry in the Freaks school of cult cinema.

Given its many failings, nothing short of an extreme makeover could save American Mary. Scalpel, please.

The filmmakers certainly exaggerate (i.e. exploit) their subject, but for a community that prides itself on shock value, there seems no sufficient alternative.

This is truly a cut above.

The messaging gets a bit muddled in the second half, but American Mary offers plenty for viewers to chew on.

While the film is ultimately stronger in its first half, American Mary is a showcase for Isabelle's talent and an intriguing consideration of the body mod community. One only wishes the Soskas were a little sharper with their messaging

I was very dazzled by the freakish nature.

With a bit of body horror mixed in, the Soska Sisters have offered a decidedly different horror perspective in the rape-revenge sub-genre.