Ma

Just don't expect too much!

It's not a horror movie, it's some sort of fun teen thriller-ish movie with some twisted scenarios but overall a quite simple script. It's not very scary, though there are a fez fun jump scares. Turn off those critical brain cells and just enjoy the movie...

I guess I can say that I didn't get bored watching this movie.

For reference maybe it's good to know that I watch movies for entertainment purposes. If you are in it for the "art" (think of the most boring movie 'It comes at night'), you might be disappointed. If you enjoy entertaining flicks like 'Happy deathday' or 'The Babysitter' or stuff like that, I'm sure you will enjoy this one.

I watched this at home on BluRay from my public library. My wife skipped, not her type of movie.

While there are several other effective actors, the movie rides on the performance of Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann. She is still living in the town she grew up in, as are several of her old classmates, all graduated from high school some years earlier, many of them have sons or daughters who now are in high school.

Sue Ann is approached by a group of teenagers who want an adult to buy some beer and whiskey for them. At first she is reluctant, but when she notices the van the boy is driving, and realizes he is the son of an old boyfriend, she decides to help them. And further, convinces them to party in her basement out in the country, it would be safer than riding around. The kids resort to calling her "Ma".

But we sense very early, and is later confirmed, that her intentions are not for the good. It turns out she was humiliated in high school, there is a flashback scene, and now sees this as a way to get back at the parents, to get her revenge in a very twisted manner.

For what it is, a twisted psychological thriller, it works very well. There isn't anything I would change about it.

The concept is gold: maladjusted adult tries to live her unfulfilled teenage dreams. The realisation is absolutely terrible tho: after an adequately creepy start, the movie script becomes more and more implausible. There are a lot of over the top moments which I won't spoil which are well delivered but aren't valorised enough. The final twist feels wasted.

If they fixed a few problems earlier in the movie this could have been a really good movie. It took her forever to go off the rails in my opinion

Beyond a far-fetched and almost-laughable script, the actors play pretty well, especially Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers and Juliette Lewis. The introduction languishes, lasts about an hour and one has overall the impression that the mountain has brought forth a mouse. Although I obviously do not belong to the intended audience which is probably narrowed to teens, it's worth a try with low expectations.