Seeing an Oscar winner like Octavia Spencer headline her own horror flick is enough to make you stop and take notice, even if the premise is a little nutty. But with low budget horror becoming the safe haven for smart and original concepts outside of tent-pole franchise blockbusters, Ma definitely fits the bill. The social commentary isn't quite as biting as Get Out but it's still a cut above most millennial horror with a performance from Octavia Spencer that you really can't take your eyes off of.
Let me just start by saying that the most frustrating part of the film is that if you've seen the trailer for Ma, you've basically seen Ma. The story doesn't really take many detours once it sets its course. You know there's something wrong with Ma before the movie starts, so it's no surprise the crazier she gets as the movie goes on. Especially when some of the film's wildest moments are already spoiled in the promos. I know it's a studios job to try and sell their movie the best way they can but I'd suggest going into this movie with as little knowledge ahead of time as possible. Otherwise, there's really not a lot of suspense. But again, Octavia is so batshit crazy in the role that she carries you through the whole thing regardless.
But there's also the whole, not so subtle take-down of high school social politics and the lingering effects of bullying. Peer pressure and mob mentality take the bulk of the scrutiny but there's also a look at the grim repercussions of being hell bent on chasing popularity and acceptance. The social media angle is also really interesting as an examination of how desperate people can become to feel connected and show off they're popularity. Ma becomes a very sympathetic character at times, especially as you dig down into her backstory as the film progresses. An actress without Spencer's range wouldn't have been able to anchor the film the way she does and it's ultimately the biggest reason the film succeeds. You being to feel for her even though it's clear she has sinister intentions.
But you also have director Tate Taylor giving the film an emotional core with some pacing choices and character development that round this film out quite well. Ma's revenge plan isn't all that grandiose in the end but with Taylor's framing, it feels much more spectacular than it probably deserves. The torment is explored thoroughly, as is the atmosphere that leads to Ma's entanglement in a bunch of teenager's lives. The carnage isn't quite enough to carry the film on its own so having this kind of depth makes the film much better than it could have been in lesser hands.
But once you've embrace the craziness of Ma, you really want it to knock you out with the finale. It walks a very fine line by creating such a realistic atmosphere and characters to keep the viewer engaged but then the chaos never quite escalates to where you hope it will due to the semi-grounded boundaries its set for itself. Which ultimately leads to a very mixed result. Ma's revenge doesn't really put the film over the way you'd expect it to. You can't help but leave the theater wanting a little more. Either you wanted the over the top stuff toned down for a more in depth character study of Ma or you wanted the insanity cranked to eleven and not so beholden to making this a more believable story. But instead, at the eleventh hour the film decides to shift it's focus on Ma's journey and make its final statement about our lead teenager Maggie, which is ultimately not as satisfying. This was Ma's story. Who cares what Maggie has to say? It's still an incredibly wild ride, even if the final payoff doesn't quite live up to expectations. With more and more films feeling safe and predictable, Ma is an experience too weird to pass up with a premise that's undeniably entertaining.
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