Mary Goes Round (Molly McGlynn, 2018): Canada

Reviewed by Michael Geraghty. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, 2018.

Director Molly McGlynn brings us into the world of a substance abuse counselor who has a few vices of her own. Instead of getting bogged down in the dark corners of substance abuse, the film pulls everything together to deliver a solid and engaging film. At times dark, the film utilizes dry humor, quality cinematography, and great acting to deliver a solid story triumph and the love for family.

Mary (played by Aya Cash) is a substance abuse counselor from Toronto with a serious case of party fever. Turning her vices into her business has kept her aligned and straight, but her world is about to be taken for a ride. When Mary gets a call from her estrange father (played by John Ralston), Mary soon slides down the hole that she has so fervently tried to avoid. Mary must battle through and become the strength in the family she never had.

Through a series of dramatic twists, we see a character that is constantly being hammered by the life she avoided. Mary must go on her “mary go round” in order to find the strength inside her and become the person she is so destined to be. Aya Cash delivers a solid performance that really shines through in all the turmoil that her character faces.

Overall, a great film.