If you ever told me a story about Octavia Spencer partying it up with a bunch of teenagers would grow to become one of my favourite films of all time, I simply would not believe you. However there is just something about Tate Taylor’s Ma (2019) that is so captivating. From its genuine scares to its unintended laughs, this movie will forever have a place in my heart - it’s just a shame that critics seem to think otherwise.
Describing Ma as a ‘guilty pleasure’ movie of mine is simply wrong because I feel absolutely no guilt for liking it. Unfortunately however I do feel backed into a corner - or a basement - as the critic response is resoundingly negative. Ma has been slammed for being bland and uninspired, Ian Freer of Empire Online writes:
There should be something fun in watching Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer drop C-bombs and go apeshit. Instead, Ma is an ersatz, misjudged exercise in psycho-horror that lacks the courage of its B movie convictions.
As a fan of this movie I could not disagree more. While it might not be the best display of horror Ma is undoubtedly a fun movie, and to me that is what matters. When thinking of the film I am reminded of its playful dance scenes and its charming one-liners. Ma singing “Don’t make me drink alone” will forever be cemented in my brain. In response to Ian Freer I would have to argue that Octavia Spencer gives it her all in her performance as the titular character, Ma. Throughout the film she displays her impressive acting skills, providing a range of emotions worthy of some merit. To merely define her role as ‘going apeshit’ is an injustice to both the film and Spencer herself. It is a shame that female talent is so clearly unvalued and invalidated by critics like this, but given that the idea of talent is based around white European masculinity, it unfortunately makes sense. Playing a psychopath is no easy feat, and Spencer kills it - literally.
Among a myriad of other negative comments in his review, Owen Gleiberman of Variety writes:
You can’t take Ma seriously. It’s a squalid formula picture that’s too busy connecting dots, hitting beats, engineering situations designed to make you squirm.
In my opinion that is precisely the point. So often are these critics quick to dismiss films as tasteless simply because they do not match this hierarchical and manufactured idea of perfection. If we shift the focus and reinterpret Ma as a text not to be taken seriously, that's where we can begin to appreciate it. While it may be a laughing stock to these critics, I choose to laugh alongside Ma rather than at it. It provides a level of campiness and kookiness that is so endearing and welcoming. An old veterinarian taking revenge on her former classmates by drinking with their children is silly - but it works. At times its plot may be questionable, and its script could use a bit of editing, but Ma delivers. Ma deserves to be celebrated because it is amusing and offbeat, but most importantly because it is unique.
Nothing about Ma’s character screams evil, and that’s because we have grown accustomed to a certain set of signs within the horror genre. Being a middle aged, African American woman, Ma subverts our expectations. Clad in a purple cardigan with a dog by her side, there is absolutely no reason to suspect Ma to be a bloodthirsty killer, yet the film challenges our preconceived notions. For this I think Ma can and should be praised. Never before has there been a character quite like Spencer’s and that is why I find such value in the film. Ma tells the story of a character and grouping that is so commonly overlooked in Hollywood and that's why I believe it is so important to look at the positive aspects of this film rather than focusing on the negatives. Ma reflects our social climate. Now more than ever we are looking for more diversity and representation in the media. We are in dire need of different types of stories on the big screen, and thankfully Ma is a step in the right direction.
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