Checked out the new suspense/thriller/domestic horror movie Ma… I’ve decided the subgrene of suspense/horror flicks is “domestic horror”… as in what average everyday person in your life could turn out to be a psychotic stalker killer who will cut your hair off in the night and eat it in the morning (or kill your rabbit / dog / boyfriend / boss). Ma is about the average everyday person who buys you beer when you’re a teenager… and then suggest this person might not be stable and reliable.
Ma stars Octavia Spencer (certainly overqualified but having fun) as just such a person. A gang of bored teens need to find a willing adult to buy their party supplies and Spencer just so happens to be willing. And she invites them over to her house to party in her creepy cellar. She’s clearly up to something though which the film is pretty up-front about. It’s just how far the film is willing to go with its plot… and why… that makes up the bulk of the mystery and suspense.
This is a better movie than it should be… all while playing to the audience and giving us some low-key sordidness and exploitation. The movie never really goes TOO far overboard but it always takes the time to remind you its a B movie that wants you to scream and giggle in your seats. And it’s pretty good at that too. Except for some iffy screenwriting / timeline/logic issues, this is a pretty good film. I was mostly able to forgive some of the story structure flaws and just go with the zaniness since the rest of the film was well done.
This isn’t a masterpiece but its still a fun time at the theater. Octavia Spencer makes good use of her expressive and funny face to play both cool older person (who does a killer Kung-Fu Fighting dance) and unhinged and creepy. The other actors do a good job too and there are some very cool split focus shots that I didn’t expect from a movie like this. Overall, it’s worth seeing if you are looking for a fun little suspense flick.
Score: 81