MA – Rated R – 1 hr 39 mins

This review is brought to you by Kathy Kaiser

MA – Rated R – 1 hr. 39 mins

DIRECTOR:  Tate Taylor

WRITTEN BY:  Scotty Landes

STARRING:  Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller, Gianni Paolo, Dante Brown, Tanyell Waivers, Tate Taylor, Luke Evans and Allison Janney

When a group of teenagers befriend a lonely Veterinary tech named Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer), it seems that all their wishes have come true, as she will not only get them alcohol, but allows them to party at her residence too.

When Sue Ann’s behavior starts to get out of control, New girl on the block Maggie (Diana Silvers), has the wits about her to suggest that her, and her friends unfriend, this psycho before it’s too late.

But when Sue Ann, aka Ma, continues her devious ways, and convinces even more teenagers to join in her party, their lives are about to change in an instant, and shall we say, it won’t be for the better…

I give MA a rating between MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN and WAIT AND CATCH THIS FILM ON DVD!  Okay, so most of you who have been reading my reviews for quite some time know that Horror films are not my “Genre of Choice” but when one of my favorite actresses of all time decides to take on a roll that is totally different from her roles thus far, I had to venture down this road with her…and I am so glad that I did!  Spencer is not only creepy, but a little scary too, playing the mentally disturbed Sue Ann.  She ended up being even more convincing in this role than I was expecting, which leads me to believe that this role  is about to open up even more doors for the Academy Award winner. Youngster Diane Silvers was fabulous too, playing the brains of the operation, knowing that there is something creepy and sinister afoot with our friend Ma, from the very beginning.  Lewis, Evans and Janney throw in some pretty convincing portrayals along the way too, showing that their own years of experience on screen, can help even a horror film leave its mark on viewers.  And the most exciting part of the evening for me during the advanced screening wasn’t even what was happening on screen, it was the experience of having someone behind me screaming during every disturbing scene, thus saving my own shrieks and shrills from having to come forth, and giving me a sense of inclusion with my feelings on these types of films throughout this particular film.  I wanted to share too, that if slasher films are “your deal”, you might be disappointed this time around, as rather than slashing its way onto the big screen, MA manages to bring you along for a more creepy, and a little less scary psychotic vibe, which totally plays out better for me personally, than all the blood, guts and gore of most Horror films.   But, even with all the accolades, I still wasn’t sold on MA to the extent that this film garners a MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN rating, thus making me suggest that if creepy “real-life scenarios” aren’t your version of what Horror films should be, then you might want to sit this one out in the theater, and wait to catch it soon when it hits on DVD!