Mama - A Movie Review

Now I know danger is lurking around the corner whenever the lights are flickering.

Mama is a 2013 horror-thriller about two kidnapped daughters living in the woods under the watch of a mysterious figure. After they are found, the girls readapt to a normal life under the watch of their uncle and his girlfriend. They are not alone experiencing a nightmare of events.

The first time I ever watched Mama I jumped on so many occasions. Mama is a well-directed film with an intriguing story that keeps viewers guessing until the very end. Behind the dark atmosphere, the theme of love is prominent.

Jessica Chastain completely transforms herself into a goth medal-head thirty-year-old teenager. This is one of my favorite roles of Chastain’s. She’s unrecognizable as Annabel who finds herself in the undesired position to take care of her boyfriend’s nieces. Her growth is huge. I love the interactions she shares with the girls slowly coming out of the closed-off person to be someone who she never intended to become.

Megan Charpentier and Isabelle Nelisse were outstanding in their performances as Victoria and Lily. After living alone for years, they have to regain the social skills that they lost. In Lily’s case, she was too young to even grapple the world sticking with how she was brought up acting like an animal. They shared emotional scenes.

I had no idea that Charpentier was the actress who played the vile Greta in the IT movies until researching years later. These girls go far in their performances, taking the ultimate risks blending innocence into vulnerable demeanors. Nelisse was a terrific young actress speaking mainly with her eyes, rather than voice because at the time she couldn’t speak English very well.

Things are not as they appear. Everything about Mama’s appearance is real. Aside from the CGI hair, Javier Botet was frightening as Mama. The director did an outstanding job of keeping Mama hidden, only showing her in brief shots until the final reveal.

Her backstory is chilling. The filmmakers came up with a very creative idea to show audiences Mama’s backstory. Mama’s movements are so disturbing and yet conquers at being the highlight of the film.

Other acting credits include Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Daniel Kash, Jane Moffat, Morgan McGarry, David Fox, Dominic Cuzzocrea, and Julia Chantry. This film proved to be the ultimate acting challenge to study the depth of the character to become believable. Watch very closely and you’ll find characters who look vaguely similar, but utterly transform themselves into a new personality.

The story moves at a suitable pace with well-timed jump scares. I think it does a great job establishing the bond between Anabelle and the girls which were my favorite scenes to watch. However, the ending felt a little out of left field to me. I still love this film for what it is, but the ending never makes sense to me almost taking a new direction into a fantasy film.

This film being under the direction of Andy Muschietti, the director of the IT movies, makes it a new experience for me. Muschietti has his own definition when it comes to horror. He excelled in the characters, most especially with Anabel. The cinematography is stunning, and I liked his choices for some of the locations. Aside from the ending which feels far-fetched, Mama is engrossing.

I could watch Mama anytime it airs on TV. It’s a fun horror movie. Jessica Chastain is the highlight of her commendable performance. I recommend this film to any horror lovers. Be warned that it is disturbing in some moments, but it is worth a watch.