Ma (2019)

A lonely woman befriends a group of teenagers and decides to let them party at her house. Just when the kids think their luck couldn't get any better, things start happening that make them question the intention of their host.

Jess’ Review

Ma had been on my horror radar for awhile and whilst I wasn’t expecting anything remarkable, I was still intrigued. Sam was adamant in his stance of not watching it however, so here I go (again) on my own. (Whitesnake, though I shouldn’t have to point it out.)

Wish me luck!

Ma stars Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann, a lonely, troubled woman who strikes up a friendship with a group of teenagers. The premise is loose, even for a horror. It’s not so much the set-up of Sue Ann endorsing underage drinking, but mostly her motives. It’s over-the-top - which isn’t always an issue, but here it borderlines on silly. Sue Ann’s furious obsession with the past provides a wobbly foundation for the ensuing drama. It barely endures the film’s duration.

The teenage cast of indie high schoolers are ok. It’s a well-used trope in the genre and these characters are no exception. There’s no depth. It’s just lazy. And it’s infuriating that the audience is left watching the everyday dramas of their lives as if we give a sh-t about them. And as a result, I found my attention waning as more time was dedicated to them. They weren’t interesting or sympathetic, or even unlikeable - they’re just there, ticking the boxes.

The saving grace of the film is Octavia Spencer. She’s a phenomenal actress, and demonstrates her range by delving into the mind of an unstable, horror villain. (It’s not spoiler. It’s pretty damn obvious from the posters alone.) Sue Ann is the draw of this film. She tiptoes the line between sympathetic and sinister, subtle in her transition as her jealousy takes hold. It’s a strong performance from Spencer, especially so given the sparse material she’s working with.

Ma was a slow build kind of film, but so slow in the sense that you questioned whether it was moving at all. The filmmakers’ attempts to evoke tension just fell flat. I never felt scared, or uneasy, or even all that interested in the first half. And usually I love a gradual descent into the horror. But it simply didn’t work here. It was pandering, and so devoid of energy and pace that it felt arduous. Even in the last act when the horror aspects finally hit, it feels lacklustre and tired.

Overall, Ma was a disappointment. I wanted to like it, I promise. But I just couldn’t. It was boring for the most part, propped up only by Spencer’s performance. It’s a lazy film that for me hardly slips into the horror genre in the first place. Perhaps Sam was right and this really wasn’t worth my time.

4.5/10

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Sam’s Review

Nope...

N/A