There’s a reason that Ma has inspired so many memes, at least in certain corners of Film Twitter. It feels as if it’s been created specifically to make silly jokes about. This is a movie where Octavia Spencer does The Robot, forces teens to strip and take shots with her, and makes about 15 meme-able facial expressions. From its premise to its outrageous ending, this is a B-movie at its core. But Ma also makes some critical missteps whenever it doesn’t fully understand its tone and tries to be something more.
Ma wastes very little time before thrusting viewers into the plot and introducing its collection of teenage victims. Diana Silvers plays Maggie, the new kid in the small town where her single mom (Juliette Lewis) grew up. Desperate to make friends, Maggie starts hanging out with a gang of rule-breakers who spend most nights outside a liquor store, begging adults who pass by to buy them drinks. They get lucky one night when a veterinary nurse walks by and not only offers them drinks, but a place to party—her basement. But, of course, they’re not lucky. This woman, Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) has a plan for revenge, and none of these teens are safe.
One of the smartest decisions that screenwriter Scotty Landes makes here is that all of the main teenage characters, with the exception of Diana, are deeply unlikable, almost to the point of comedy. Within minutes of being introduced, one of the teens makes a homophobic joke. Another is needlessly rude to just about every adult he comes across, in a way that doesn’t call to mind actual teenage resentment but after-school specials. Creating such deeply unlikable characters helps the film shred any sense of realism, and clues the audience into what, exactly, Ma is trying to do. This is a popcorn movie that wants the audience to laugh just as much as it wants them to sit on the edge of their seat.
But that makes the movie’s fatal mistake all the more confounding. During her best scenes, Sue Ann is a one-dimensional villain, reminding audiences of such classic antagonists as Michael Meyers or Annie Wilkes. It is genuinely fun to watch her wreak havoc on the lives of these teens. But the film only works if she remains as such. By giving her a motivation and asking us to sympathize with her character, the film’s tone is totally thrown off the rail. And it doesn’t help that Landes gives her a shockingly dark backstory that doesn’t mesh well with the more lighthearted tone of the thrills. It feels like an attempt to make Ma feel timely, but is clumsily handled.
The good news is that Octavia Spencer is up for whatever curve balls the script throws her way. She’s almost too good here. When the script is fun and light, she’s having a total blast and relishing the chance to play a villain. And when the script is more serious, she sells every dramatic bit. The only reason Sue Ann’s more serious backstory works in the moment is because Spencer does the work to make her character feel real. It’s just disappointing that the film works so much better when her character is a cartoon. Still, Ma serves as a welcome reminder that Spencer is one of our most reliable working actors.
She’s not alone onscreen, though. Diana Silvers has an interesting screen presence that calls to mind Thora Birch, or even a young Winona Ryder. She serves as a compelling vessel for the audience, and makes for an interesting lead. Many of her male teenage costars leave much to be desired, but actress McKaley Miller is someone to watch. Miller is the only young person that seems to be in on the joke: they’re not playing real teenagers, they’re playing cartoon characters. As the stereotypical mean girl, Miller is a total blast, with great comedic timing and a constant understanding of the film’s tone. And, like Spencer, Juliette Lewis is almost too good here. She brings a dramatic heft to the final act that wasn’t needed, but does add to the tension and doesn’t feel too out-of-step with the film’s tone. It’s also, quite simply, a pleasure to have her back onscreen.
And as a thriller, this film, mostly works. It’s a fun watch, with some great thrills and a ton of laughs. Director Tate Taylor clearly has a passion for the B-movie thrillers that Hollywood left behind a few years ago, and it’s really wonderful to see Octavia Spencer excel in a role that feels like an inspired choice for an Oscar winner. But it’s just a shame that the film doesn’t have the conviction to fully stick to that B-movie tone and tries to add a tragic, timely backstory where it simply doesn’t belong. There’s still fun to be had, but this could have been something great. Instead, it’s just OK.
