Mama (2013)

by Michele Pearson:

Watching the first preview of this film, I got chills.  I watched the short film that inspired this film and it was one of the scariest things I have watched in a long time.  I was honestly afraid that I was setting myself up for disappointment.  There was no way that this film was going to be able to be that scary.  While I left satisfied, I also left confused.

The movie begins just after a man named Jeffrey kills his business partners and returns to his home to kill his estranged wife.  He kidnaps his two daughters, 4 year old Victoria and 1 year old baby Lily and begins driving aimlessly through a snowy mountain pass.  While speeding around a corner, he loses control and drives over a cliff.  The three survive and Jeffrey takes his girls to an abandoned cabin.  As his daughter Victoria watches a strange figure in the woods, Jeffrey prepares to shoot her but is stopped by a black shape and dragged off camera.  Skip ahead five years and Jeffrey’s brother Lucas is still searching for his brother and the girls.  He has hired two trackers who eventually find the cabin and the girls, who have gone feral.  When asked how they survived in the woods, they only answer “Mama”.  After they have been cleaned up and medically cleared by child psychiatrist Doctor Dreyfuss, the girls move in with Lucas and his bass playing rock and roll girlfriend, Annabel.  Shortly after they move in, things begin to happen and it seems likely that Mama didn’t stay in the woods.

There were elements about this film that kept it from being a disappointment.  The acting is very well done.  It’s not over the top, it’s not dry, it is thoroughly believable.  The two little girls, (Charpentier and Nélisse) were amazing.  They went beyond just being the “creepy kids” of a horror film and brought depth to the characters.  Even the littlest, who barely says a word, was able to relay more in one facial expression than I’ve seen a career actress do in a three minute monologue.  Jessica Chastain easily could have played Annabel simply as the rocker girlfriend who doesn’t want kids and left her at that but she is able to convey actual character growth that doesn’t appear forced or unnatural.  The film is beautifully shot and the fear doesn’t just happen in the dark.  There were a number of big scares that paid off well but I left the film confused by the ending.  I felt it didn’t fit into the flow of the film.  It was the only part that felt rushed, not thought out, completed at the last minute and thrown on for…what I’m not sure.  It made me feel like I had fallen asleep and missed a crucial part of the movie because I just couldn’t grasp what had happened.  I have a few other complaints about the film but to convey them here could possibly provide spoilers for the film itself.  I will say that despite my dissatisfaction with the end, I felt the ride getting there was worth it.

I might recommend watching this on the big screen but be warned with the PG13 rating comes the PG13 crowd.  If you wish to avoid this, then I’d suggest waiting for the DVD release or attend a very late showing.  Regardless of your viewing preference, make sure you do add this one to the watch list.  It shows that with the right director and the right cast, a simple scary story can still be made in Hollywood.

Michele Pearson is a contributor for DarkMedia. She covers Vampire Diaries and any other films, books, etc that come her way. She reads everything from Lonesome Dove to Game of Thrones and loves epic tv series like Doctor Who and Star Trek: TNG. Michele also loves a good horror film and was able to channel that love as a judge for Shriekfest 2012. Follow her on Twitter at @GirlInRowB and check out her blog at http://www.girlinrowb.com.