Empty mother and daughter horror tale
Umma (Mother) is helmed by first time director Iris K Shim after previously directing short or documentary films. With a screenplay from the director and a huge producers list including the one and only horror genius in the guise of Sam Raimi, fellow horror director Andre Ovredal (he of Trollhunter fame) and the film’s Marquee star Sandra Oh, this psychological and supernatural horror film left me flat, disengaged and more than a little disappointed. With a cast list of only six major characters, here are your half a dozen portrayals in a spoiler light taster:
“Amanda” (Sandra Oh) and 16 year old daughter “Chris” (Fivel Stewart) jointly run an independent bee-keeping and honey manufacturing enterprise in a rural idyll and completely off grid of considered civilisation. Their only real, tangible contact with the outside world lies with local shop owner “Danny” (Dermot Mulroney) and his niece “River” (Odeya Rush), but the relaxed calm of a peaceful life is broken by Amanda’s uncle “Mr Kang” (Tom Yi) who brings the distressing news that Amanda’s Mother “Umma” (MeeWha Alana Lee) has died and he leaves a suitcase package as a disgruntled parting gift.
The film is a Korean and English language mix and ostensibly a mother and daughter tale of ghostly apparitions, abuse and the repeating actions of a delusional mother toward her precious daughter. It’s also a tale of a mother desperate to be at “One” with her daughter and another mother who “promised I’d never become my mother” but who with delusional visions and the constant nagging narration from her own deceased mother, quickly does.
In a film reliant on jump scares (I counted one, a good one too, but no more), the others were as flat as the tension that simply doesn’t build and a story that had run its course after 45 minutes.
Thanks for reading. Please see my three most recently published and always spoiler free film reviews linked below:
“Deep Water” (2022)
Mirror, Mirror, on the wallmedium.com
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Amusing adaptation of Being Nicolas Cagemedium.com
“The Black Phone” (2022)
Superb supernatural, psychological horrormedium.com