Mama
Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson
A businessman flips out, kills his estranged wife and goes on the run with their three-year-old and one-year-old daughters. They wind up stumbling through the woods until they find an abandoned cabin. Or at least, it has no living occupants…
Five years later, the girls are discovered there, living like/on woodland creatures. Their cool artist uncle takes on the task of re-civilising them, with the reluctant help of his even cooler rock-chick girlfriend (an unrecognisable Jessica Chastain). But something helped the girls survive in the forest, and it’s not quite ready to hand over custody.
This creepy and effective little chiller relies on psychological rather than visual horror, helped by a soundtrack apparently inspired by moths breaking out of their chrysalises. It feels a bit familiar in places, but has a nice strand of dark humour.
7/10
Released March 14, 2013.
Jonathan Empson’s TV script Chrome was nominated for an AWGIE in 2010.
His recently completed historical drama-comedy feature Leonardo’s War is in circulation, and his black comedy-thriller Get Out of Here has been optioned.
He is represented by Rick Raftos Management.