User reviews

The final days of the Virgin Mary and her conversations with Peter, the founder of the first Catholic Church, are recreated with many slow motion flashbacks. Bahia Haifi has the title role as Mary, and she delivers a subtle and glowing performance. Writer-director Andrew Hyatt is obviously a true believer in the biblical story and origins of Jesus of Nazareth. I can appreciate the aesthetic beauty of Full of Grace without having the beliefs of my personal Catholic upbringing. If Hyatt's mission was to force his audience to at least think of the possibility of redemption through faith, he has succeeded. I would like to share his acceptance of the teachings of the Church, but with my deep and doubting nature, I still do not believe in an after life. Full of Grace will at least cause a conversation on the subject.

the grace. it is its basic virtue who seems be the seed for a touching and profound story. the delicacy of images and dialogs. like pillars of a wise manner to present a special story about first steps of the Church. Bahia Haifi . She does a great job in a role who is always a serious challenge. the flash backs. who are frame and support for the memories of the viewer about the levels of Christian faith. the slow rhythm . who defines it more than another religious film. because it is more. it is point of reflection about manner to use your Christian roots. beautiful. and full of a rare spirit of poetry of life. a film for believers. because it not propose a subject. but a oasis to rediscover yourself for a Christian.

It is apparent the producer's goal for this movie is to elevate the importance and influence of Mary, the mother of the man, Jesus Christ. She appears to be the primary force of what some may call the "Christian movement" since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mary was no more important but far less important than the apostles who were commissioned and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to bring the Gospel (Good News) to the world. From the day of Pentecost when Peter and about 120 disciples, including Mary, were filled with the Holy Spirit and declared the wonderful works of God, the work continued in the early years without abatement. It was not up to Mary to make that happen at any time.

Jesus Christ was alive at that time in Resurrection Power, Present and Much at Work, even as He is Alive Today in This Same Power. The producers of the movie haven't a clue. They don't know Him, but they urge others into their own darkness to exalt themselves in their idol, Mary. What Catholics call "veneration" of Mary is called Mariolatry by those who have received the Holy Spirit.

This movie leads to Mary, not to the Person and Spirit of our Almighty God, Jesus Christ.

A brother in Christ spoke these words to describe the nature of Full of Grace:

The movie could be summarized as: "Jesus is dead and gone for ten years, so the apostles, now in a funk and struggling, need 'Mother' Mary to help guide them back to the truth."

This film is visually stunning, with a beautiful soundtrack and powerful acting performances. It continues to haunt me weeks after seeing it. Somehow it manages to portray two larger-than-life historical figures, Peter and Mary, in a way that makes them very human and remarkably current. At the same time it remains true to the saintly nature both surely possessed, and provides insight into the historical struggles of the early church. The film manages to remain non-denominational, such that Christians of any background, and perhaps even spiritually oriented non-Christians, can enjoy it.

By the end of the film I had been moved to tears more than once, I felt I could relate to Mary and Peter in a way I never had before, and I felt closer to Christ, despite his not appearing in the movie at all. A true triumph of independent film making.

First, I have to say that based on so many one star reviews its almost like a 'Hit Job' is going on; they certainly could not have seen the same movie I did. Second, while I do believe in the existence of 'God' I would not say that I am very religious at all. BUT - I don't think that one's religious beliefs (or none) have anything to do with this movie.

This was THE BEST unheard of movie I have watched this year. I had never heard of it, and sitting around at Christmas time, I was surfing Netflix one night and came upon this movie. The description wasn't much, simply that an elderly Mary reflects upon her life, or something to that effect. Instead, it was an existential thought piece along the lines of 'My Dinner with Andre'. Although we know that the 'Virgin Mary' is the focus, it could have been anyone. An elderly woman reflecting on her life and the extradordinary events she has witnessed. She waxes philosophical with a hand maid, Sara, and then Peter, and finally others. Questions of LIfe ad Death, Fate, Redemption, and the Eternal Hereafter all come into play.

This is no 'religious' sales pitch, but instead a rational reflection of one's place i the cosmos when one has born witness to extraordinary things. Very well done, and has inspired me to look for other titles from the writers.

Before I bash on this MOVIE about The Mother Mary, please note that I am not Catholic, and this might have possibly been a Catholic project. I'm a Lutheran, but I have friends who are Catholic. This is an attack on this particular MOVIE and not that denomination. Now on to my review:

I bought this at Wal-Mart when it was released. I thought this was going to be a Jesus movie (think something like Jesus of Nazareth) from Mary's perspective.

I guess it kind of was- well, it would be if 99% of this movie was actually in The Bible. There's like one or two scenes that actually quote The Gospels, and they are shown repeatedly here and there, which is odd.

It's also dreadfully boring. I used to like religious movies for being religous back then, (enter movies like God's Not Dead), and even though I watched Full of Grace back in that era of my life, I STILL hated this movie.

In fact, I remember someone asking me in 11th grade what my least favorite movie was, and I named Full of Grace as that "winner".

I've seen worse since, now my least favorite movie is August Underground's Mordum, which I couldn't even finish. But still, Full of Grace is a drag, slow, and unbiblical- it breaks God's command in Deut. 4:2 to not add or take away from the Word of God.

Revelation warns that those who do this will not be in the Book of Life. I hope the filmmakers of this movie have repented for that...and for wasting my time and money.

Reverse Recommendations: If you want to see a Biblical movie that is more from Mary's perspective, I recommend The Nativity Story instead. Fun Fact: I once asked my Pastor what his favorite Biblical movie is, and that's what he named as his favorite.

For a good movie that takes a Catholic perspective on Jesus, see The Passion of the Christ.

Normally, these religious films focus more on large productions, in order to compensate for the lack of coherence or logic that they necessarily entail. This one doesn't even have that, it doesn't have anything that can be even remotely entertaining, just pure mumbo jumbo, poorly directed, poorly acted and with horrible photography. Grab a crucifix, cry a lot and say it's the best film in the world if you're religious, but deep down, you know the film is too bad to be true. If you don't feel very emotional, just because it's mandatory to do so in these types of films, don't waste your time, watch Loki, it's always a more interesting and fun supposed son of god, and comes with good directions to go with it.

Great movie of precise dialogue, well written and faithful to orthodoxy. As a Catholic I was comforted to see that there are still people capable of doing movies like this. A person like Mary deserves much more but this film will be taxed a worthy tribute. Mary is the best bridge to Our Lord and God Jesus Christ. One of the achievements of the film is to convey to the viewer the greatness of the spirit of Mary. In addition, they play with great consideration issues as important at the time as the opening of the church to non-Jews. The rhythm of the film is deliberately slow. The beauty of the landscape serves as a framework for reflection and dialogue of the characters. All this is leaving its mark on the soul of the viewer who, at the end of the film, feels that something has changed inside. Worth watching!

Full of Grace, directed by Andrew Hyatt, aspires to be a reflective and spiritually profound portrayal of Mary of Nazareth's final days. While its intentions are commendable, the execution falls short, resulting in a film that feels more like a static tableau than a compelling narrative.

The performances, particularly Bahia Haifi's turn as Mary, aim for reverence but often come across as subdued and detached. The lack of emotional range in the characters prevents the story from resonating on a deeper level, leaving the audience feeling distanced rather than immersed.

Visually, the film leans heavily on muted tones and minimalist settings to evoke a sense of sacredness. While this approach complements the contemplative nature of the subject matter, it also contributes to the film's slow pacing and lack of dynamism. The dialogue, filled with theological reflections and philosophical musings, often feels more didactic than dramatic, further distancing the viewer from the characters' experiences.

Hyatt's direction appears focused on creating an atmosphere of reverence, but in doing so, it sacrifices narrative engagement. The film's meditative approach could have been effective with a stronger emotional core, but instead, it often feels like a sermon rather than a story.

Full of Grace seeks to provide a spiritual experience, but its lack of narrative energy and emotional depth makes it a challenging watch. While it may appeal to a niche audience with an interest in religious films, it struggles to connect with viewers on a broader level.

Rating: 3/10 - A well-meaning but lackluster depiction of Mary's final days.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough! The actress who portrayed Mary was absolutely stunning! Not "made up" stunning.... I mean, naturally, organically, spiritually stunning! After watching this film, I felt like I had just spent the evening in conversation with Mary and Jesus' Disciples.

Mary has been one of the most debated and beloved individuals God has ever worked through.

In this beautiful work, Mary, the Mother of Christ, nears death as the early Church develops. Peter, while able to proclaim the Gospel loudly and triumphantly among Jews has begun to feel the pressure of leadership as the Church grows beyond the Jewish culture. In the midst of incredibly important decisions, and feeling unqualified, Peter seeks the counsel of Mary as she nears reunion with her Son.

This beautiful and eye opening film offers a unique perspective into Mary's role of Mother within the early Church. Practically every like of this film makes me want to grab a notebook and write word for word quotations. Additionally, special care was taken to ensure an ethnically diverse cast was taken. Moreover, the film is professional and well made unlike many other Christian movies. It's moderate pace encourages a meditative look at Christ's life and the founding of His Church from Mary's perception.

The subtle Catholic undertones through Eucharist, anointing of the sick, and other means take the film to the next level and made me fall in love with it. Even non Catholics would love this movie.

Despite the 1 star reviews from Protestant objectors, this movie does not elevate Mary to divine levels, it merely illustrates her unique and beautiful role within the Early Church. Anyone who likes the Rosary may reflect that this film is like a walking meditative Rosary.

Overall 10/10 loved it and highly recommend it!

Some of the 1 starred reviews here are either by atheists or Protestants who have a gut-level revulsion at the name of Mary, which seems pretty insulting to Jesus if you ask me. Their ridiculously low rating does not reflect the caliber of this film, and was just intended to drag down the average rating. While I was tempted to give this a 10 star rating to counteract their biased ratings, I'm more honest then they are. It's not a perfect film. While the film takes a leisurely, artistically filmed approach, which I mostly found very meditative and wonderful, parts of are extremely slow, and I suspect were timed to just match the musical accompaniment. The film is beautifully acted by Bahia Haifi and Noam Jenkins. They really do convey "the peace of God which surpasses all understanding". Few films ever ponder what the experience of Mary was actually like. However, I did wonder at a few aspects. Shouldn't Mary have been living with John? I wished the portrayal of Communion at the end included more of Jesus' words from the Gospels.

One might think that a film about the life of Jesus would be the holiest film ever made, and that would certainly be the case if it had ever been done. But who would think to make a film about the last days of Mary? Someone did, and if you will watch this beautiful story quietly, and take in every word, you will see that the dialogues and monologue of Mary were all directly inspired by her from her heavenly place with her Son. I can't recommend this film enough to any Believer; in fact, to anyone at all, believing or not--it is fully and securely orthodox in every way. I feel, right now anyway, that I have viewed the very apex of film making, and that I never need to see another film in this life. Truly, I am overwhelmed, and deeply blessed to have had this one brought to my attention by those who care for me, and for my eternity. By the way, the demonic reviews of this film (Mary was a prostitute; the Apostles were more important than Mary, which is laughable and absurd; people with the Holy Spirit will hate this film, etc. ) all confirm the holiness of this project.

First things first. This is a Catholic film. It does reflect Catholic teaching. It shows how Mary experienced Christ and everything she says and does points to Him. It also shows the respect she had among the apostles, this is often lacking in other stories. It also show the early church Mass. The film has a great meditative pace. The photography is beautiful. The acting is far better than many mainstream films.

I hope none of my comment would be considered a "spoiler". It's not meant to be. It's pretty hard to give a decent review without really talking about the movie content, however.

Most of this movie was beautifully done, portraying the calm confidence of Mary and the struggles within the early church, especially for Peter, being looked to by everyone as the "leader". I felt, however, that it was made wonderfully clear that we are ALL followers, more than leaders, which is a good thing, since Christ is the Head, not any man or woman.

I was pleased with Mary's encouragement to the men, for the most part. She brought them successfully back to the beginning, where it all started. However, I was perturbed by Mary's closing words to the men, which were basically the words of Jesus and more along the lines of Catholicism's beliefs about Mary. That totally conflicted me, unfortunately.

I also wondered about the authenticity of the "communion" for that period of time. Was it really so? I would have imagined a loaf being broken and passed around.

On the whole, this movie was thought provoking and beautifully done, with only the one major disagreement for me, concerning Mary and doctrine around her.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment....

I have the holt spirit and greatly appreciate this movie. I would add that those who believe and follow the path remembering when they first believe will find it difficult to denigrate anyone in the faith who truly follows Messiah, Yeshua Hamaschiac. To know and follow him is to love one another. Blessings and Shalom.

As someone who understands some things about the Holy Spirit, I can say that this movie was inspired by him. I can tell. I believe that this is exactly the way Mary would have talked with the apostles and the way she would have reasoned and thought about things.

The only complaint I have about this movie is the fact that Mary would have likely been living with John the apostle in Ephasus during this time period. Of course I could be wrong.

Wow, it says my review is too short so I'll try to write a bit more. I really felt the power of the Holy Spirit while watching this movie. It also increased my devotion to try to live like a saint as Mary did, the apostles, and even Jesus himself.10/10.

This is the first time I heard of a movie about the last days of Mary. It is a great portrait of what could have been her life after the martyrdom and resurrection of Christ.

The relation of the Virgin with Peter, prince of the Apostles, is carefully developed, and shows the challenges of the Church in its first decade of existence. Its slow pace opens the mind for a meditative experience while enjoying the beautiful landscapes of nature.

Although I do have some concerns: about the Eucharist being showed mostly as a sacrament of unity of Christian people and not explicitly as the Body and Blood of Christ. And the Assumption of Mary is just implied.

But, in general it is a very likable movie and just nice to feel what would have been the experience to dialog with our Heavenly Mother.