Review: Mama

            When it comes to the supernatural, you can always count on Guillermo del Toro. While Mama was directed and co-written by Andres Muschietti, del Toro’s stamp is all over this film, and it’s apparent that his influence went much farther than his executive producer title leads on. In my review of Texas Chainsaw 3D I lamented the lack of modern day horror flicks filled with suspense, shadows, and originality, and it’s as if Mama came along to show me that there is hope yet. This is a horror movie in the style of the golden age, and it is beautiful and artistic throughout. It’s not perfect, and there are some confusing decisions, but on the whole Mama is a fun ride and is the best horror film in wide release since last year’s tongue-in-cheek Cabin in the Woods.  

            In my eyes, a horror movie needs to be one of two things in order to be truly successful: grounded in complete reality or based in the surreal, fantastic, and mythical. Mama is most assuredly the latter, and it’s in this arena that del Toro’s presence is felt most. Ghost stories like this are nothing if not dark fairytales, and the man who gave us Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the foremost experts in that field. The story revolves around two young girls who are abandoned by their father after he murders their mother, and they are “raised” by a supernatural mother dealing with her own inner demons. The children have no real human interaction during their formative years, which presents a problem for their aunt and uncle who are able to find and take them in. Jessica Chastain is wonderful as the reluctant, punk rock Annabel, and she is complemented perfectly by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The real stars here, however, are the two young children, who work in tandem with the darkness and shadows to present an ominous atmosphere. The human element is never lost, but the ethereal nature of the tale is what shines through.

The first two-thirds of Mama are filled with adequate jump scares, understated gloom, and non-stop foreboding, all to great success. It’s in the film’s final act, however, where viewers will either jump ship and dismiss Mama as cheesy, or realize the risks that the filmmakers took in bringing to life such a haunting, visceral tale of love and loss. Mama is a gothic fairytale at its finest, and the imagery presented is ghostly and fantastic (if not a bit too CGI-heavy). Muschietti, del Toro, and co. have done what hasn’t been done in quite some time and have given us a ghost story worth checking out. Mama isn’t an instant classic, but its surely an accomplishment when taken in context of the times.

Score: 3.8/5