Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Mary is a hit woman working for an organized crime family in Boston, whose life is completely turned around when she meets a young boy whose path she crosses when a professional hit goes bad.
Proud Mary is a largely generic action-thriller that squanders its promising premise and a charismatic lead in Taraji P. Henson. The plot follows well-worn hitwoman-with-a-heart-of-gold conventions without adding meaningful twists. Henson does her best but the script gives her little to work with, and the supporting cast is underutilized. Visually the film is competent but unremarkable, with action sequences that feel flat despite the stylish retro needle-drops. The Mary J. Blige-soundtracked finale promised a bold, distinctive identity that the rest of the film never delivers, making the whole enterprise feel like a missed opportunity. The ending resolves conflicts too neatly and lacks impact. Nothing here stands out as genuinely exceptional or singularly distinctive.