Cotton Mary review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Set in the post-colonial India of the '50s, this lethargic Merchant Ivory potboiler casts Scacchi as Lily, the neglected wife of a World Service reporter (Wilby), who turns to Anglo-Indian nurse Cotton Mary (Jaffrey) when her baby falls ill.

Mary, alas, is a few onions short of a bhaji, abusing Lily's trust to obtain a position in her household. Enthralled by the British way of life, Mary becomes increasingly unhinged, plotting against loyal servant Abraham (Prayag Raaj) and terrorising Lily's seven-year-old daughter Theresa (Laura Lumley).

Director Ismail Merchant gives free rein to Jaffrey's histrionics in a ponderous meller which cranks up the tension before blowing it with a disastrous anti-climax. Elegant locations and period detail don't make up for the off-puttingly parochial subject matter or the ham-fisted symbolism (Mary's dementia is signposted by fluttering Union Jacks and God Save The Queen).

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

Latest in Action Movies
Michael Fassbender in Black Bag
X-Men star Michael Fassbender says he auditioned for James Bond, but ended up suggesting they go for Daniel Craig: "I don't know why I was promoting him"
Warfare movie
First reactions to Ex Machina director's "intense" new war movie are comparing it to Black Hawk Down
Jack Quaid in The Boys
The Boys star and self-proclaimed "huge video game nerd" Jack Quaid says his dream role would be in a BioShock movie because it's "one of my favorite games of all time"
Gemma Chan in Eternals
Eternals star Gemma Chan is hopeful she'll return to the MCU someday: "There's unfinished business there"
All You Need is Kill anime
Graphic novel that inspired one of Tom Cruise's highest-rated actioners is being turned into an anime movie
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things 4
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink joins Spider-Man 4 and fans are already theorizing she might be X-Men’s Jean Grey
Latest in Reviews
Razer USB 4 Dock in silver on a wooden desk
Razer USB 4 Dock review: "solid, reliable, and surprisingly well-priced"
Lenovo Legion Go S with FlyKnight gameplay on screen featuring player character holding bow and arrow with enemy ant in backdrop.
Lenovo Legion Go S Windows 11 review: “my heart aches for this mixed up handheld”
Talisman 5th Edition game components
Talisman 5th Edition review: "The characterful imperfections of the original game remain clear to see "
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Altered: Trial by Frost booster box and packs on a playmat
Altered: Trial by Frost review - "Satisfying enough to offer highly varied gameplay"
Three SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pads on a wooden desk
I didn't expect to prefer a coarser mouse pad, but SteelSeries' new QcK Performance range has changed my mind