Killing Mary Sue

Killing Mary Sue" is a fun, fast-paced movie that's perfect to watch with a group of friends. I saw it in a packed theater during the LA Film Festival and had an absolute blast-can't recommend it enough. The performances are strong across the board, and the writing and editing are sharp, keeping you on the edge of your seat with no dull moments.

If you're expecting a heavy-handed political message, this probably isn't the film for you. But if you're in the mood for something that pokes fun at everyone equally and leans into absurdity purely for entertainment's sake, Killing Mary Sue is right up your alley. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes more popular as word spreads.

James Sunshine's "Killing Mary Sue" attempts a satirical deconstruction of a well-worn trope but ultimately becomes the very thing it seeks to parody. The film, which follows a group of writers who try to kill off their all-powerful, flawless main character, suffers from a severe lack of narrative focus, meandering between meta-commentary and a generic action plot without truly committing to either. The result is a lukewarm and ultimately unmemorable cinematic experience that delivers neither genuine laughs nor compelling thrills.

The supposed "clever" interactions between the characters feel forced and contrived, lacking the genuine spark necessary to engage the audience. The dialogue, often laden with clichéd pronouncements about storytelling and character arcs, feels painfully artificial, as if the writers simply strung together a series of pop culture references without any regard for natural conversation. The film's self-awareness feels less like wit and more like a crutch, failing to mask its underdeveloped plot and thin characters.

Is it worth watching? No. It's a film that promises a clever critique but delivers a clumsy and uninspired caricature.

Writer, director, Editor James Sunshine has a carnival in his head and he's put it all into this fantastic movie. Centering around an unwitting yet apt female hero, this movie will make you laugh out loud and make you cover your eyes from the horror, all in the same 10 seconds. This movie is very well cast with the likes of Martin Cove, Dermot Mulrooney, and Katie Killiacky, supporting-the breakout performance of actress Sierra McCormick as Mary Sue. This film won best picture at the Los Angeles independent film festival just last month, and I predict we'll be seeing big things from this director in the future. Very well done!

So Mary Sue has a bit of baggage but every female superhero does, right? This film takes us on a joy ride of discovery, mayhem, humor, and tragedy. The sudden plot twists and stories within stories take us in a very entertaining and engaging romp. I can't believe that I became totally infatuated with the main character Mary Sue and I worried when she had self issues to deal with but was excited for her when she came to terms with who she is and where she is headed. My wife had issues with some of the violent bits but the action in this film was necessary to understand Mary Sue and to see what a few unpleasant moments in her life has done to shape her into the powerful woman that takes charge of her life going forward. I loved the fun and the film and hope to see much more from this fabulous team.

Had so much fun watching this film that was filled with surprising, clever, and laugh out loud moments all throughout. Creative, original, funny, dark and truly entertaining alongside excellent performances by the cast. I went in to the movie knowing nothing about it and surely didn't expect the wild ride that ensued. In a world where movies are increasingly re-makes or derivatives of other ideas it was so refreshing to watch something that was so novel in both its inception and execution. I look forward to watching again to catch many of the nuances that I most assuredly missed the first time around.