Ma is a psychological revenge horror flick about bullying and its consequences. Maggie (Diana Silvers) and her mother move to town. With her new friends, Maggie goes out to the rock piles to drink. Being underage, they enlist the help of a lady they meet outside the liquor store, Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer), to buy the drinks. Little do they know that the seemingly friendly veterinary nurse has her eye on them.

Ma is generally enjoyable despite its lack of momentum. The film starts off quickly but slows down considerably once we meet Sue Ann. Barely anything of note happens until the final act when things finally get exciting. Although the pacing suffers for the bulk of the film, the film does spend an ample amount of time setting things up, which all eventually pay off by the end. Sue Ann’s backstory is given in pieces throughout the film, and that helps build up the tension. When the final piece of the story is finally revealed, you realise how traumatic her experience is and how devastating it must have been for her.

The film, despite having a well-written villain, does not deliver as much as you would expect from a revenge flick. The phrase “full of missed opportunities” does not quite describe the film because the film does set up opportunities and uses them, just not extensively and effectively. Quite often, I found myself drawn into the moment just to be sent back into my seat underwhelmed as the tension dissipated swiftly right after it was meticulously built up. It might be more appropriate to describe the film itself as a missed opportunity. With a compelling villain and moving backstory, the film could have gone further.

Another thing I am disappointed in is the characters, especially considering the cast the filmmakers have. The villain, Sue Ann, is genuinely well-written and unnerving, and the adult characters are memorable despite their short screen time. However, the others fail to be relatable. Questionable decisions are made one after another by the teenage protagonists, and that pulls me out of the film on numerous occasions. Sometimes I could not help but think that perhaps they did deserve whatever was coming for them. The teenage male characters are two-dimensional, while the teenage female characters fare only a bit better. It is undoubtedly a shame given the potential of the cast list. On a brighter note, Octavia Spencer is spectacular as Sue Ann, and watching her as the twisted mother is the most enjoyable part of the experience.

All in all, Ma is a generic revenge flick that lacks momentum and excitement. Though a missed opportunity as a whole, the film manages to capture my attention, even if just for a brief moment, with its final act when everything finally clicks together.

Author: Chia Jing Heng (andreusjh99)