Ma

Ma is off its rocker, and I am referring to both the movie and the title character, portrayed by Octavia Spencer.  Reuniting with director Tate Taylor (The Help), Spencer is obviously relishing the chance to play a deceptively sweet character with some serious mental issues hidden away that stem from years of abuse and ridicule she suffered when she was younger.  This gives the film a kind of "anti-bullying" theme, but this is not a message movie in the slightest.  It's an unhinged B-thriller that is anchored by Spencer's memorably off-kilter performance.

She plays Sue Ann, a lonely and withdrawn veterinary assistant who lives in a small Ohio town who befriends a group of teens when she reluctantly agrees to buy booze for them.  She starts inviting the kids over to party in her basement, saying that she doesn't want the kids drinking and driving, and that she feels better knowing what they're doing.  Her one and only rule is that they do not set foot in her actual house upstairs.  The screenplay by Scotty Landes uses this "no one go upstairs" rule to create some tension early on, as the movie hints that Sue is hiding something or someone up there.  Over time, she earns the trust of the kids, and even starts partying with them.  Eventually "Ma's House" becomes the place for action on the weekends, as she pretty much lets the high school kids do whatever they want in her basement.  She's an enabler, but she also has an agenda.

Of the kids, the lead protagonist is Maggie (Diana Silvers), who just moved to the town with her mom, Erica (Juliette Lewis).  Her mom grew up in this town, and it turns out a lot of Maggie's new friends who hang out at "Ma's" also have parents who grew up here.  It's one of those small towns where everyone knows everybody else.  The pieces of the plot start to fall into place as we witness flashbacks to Sue Ann back in high school.  There was a humiliating moment for Sue Ann that still haunts her, and give clues to why she is so desperate to be liked by these young kids.  Naturally, most of the teens don't see her as a friend, just as a way to get free booze and drugs.  And when some of the kids start turning on her, it causes Sue Ann's mental state to snap, leading to some truly off the wall third act developments that I will not reveal here.

Not everything in Ma works, but it works well enough if you know what kind of movie you're getting into.  Those looking for a flat-out horror movie might be disappointed, as the movie takes its time in letting the lead character's mental stability deteriorate enough to the point that the movie starts earning a body count.  This is a bizarre character study of someone who was always seen as an outsider, and finally feels accepted, until it naturally starts to fall apart.  The movie is fascinated in the character of Sue Ann, as well it should be.  She's a great lead role, and Spencer is clearly reveling in the opportunity to play a character type she usually doesn't get to.  She brings a sense of playful dark humor, and some true sadness to the role, which serves the character well.  We sympathize with her up to a point, and when things start to go off the wall, we are genuinely shocked by some of the things she does.  The movie is never scary exactly, but it can be pretty shocking.

This is essentially an exploitation thriller that somehow managed to get some A-Level talent involved.  Aside from Spencer and director Taylor, we also have the invaluable Allison Janney showing up in a small role as Sue Ann's exasperated boss at work.  Janney was in Taylor's The Help as well, and we get the sense she's mostly appearing in this as a favor.  Still, having this kind of talent involved does give the movie a bit more class than it probably deserves.  The young actors are good as well, and I liked the mother-daughter relationship that Diana Silvers and Juliette Lewis create in their scenes.  And when the movie finally does go bonkers during the final 20 minutes or so, this cast sells it very well, without going so over the top as to get bad laughs from the audience.  This is a movie that goes nuts, but it knows just how far to go so that I was still involved.

Were it not for the talent behind it, I can picture Ma being much more forgettable.  It's the cast that makes this work.  They're having fun, and it shows.  The movie can be fun too, even if I kind of wanted it to start going off the deep end sooner than it did.  At least when it finally does, it's worth the wait.

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