Without a doubt, Mexican director and producer Guillermo del Toro is one of the top 5 masters of horror working in Hollywood today. Best known for his movie adaptations of Dark Horse Comics' 'Hellboy,' del Toro brings a unique visual style to his movies, such as the fantasy-horror 'Pan's Labyrinth.' In a genre that is all too susceptible to the familiar, del Toro's vision is truly different and unique.
As the executive producer of 'Mama,' del Toro proved once again (as he did in 'The Orphanage' and 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark') that he knows a good suspense horror story when he sees one. Directed by Andres Muschietti, 'Mama' is a slow-burning ghost story, a hauntingly poignant tale of two young sisters who were raised by a maternal ghost deep in the woods for five years before they were returned to civilization. And woe to those who would take her 'babies' away, like their uncle Lucas and his punk rock girlfriend Annabel, once again played to perfection by the lovely and talented Jessica Chastain.
'Mama' is both suspenseful and engrossing, making us care for the characters, especially the two sisters Victoria and Lilly. As with all ghost stories, the movie is premised on a curse, loosely based on popular myths and legend. While 'Mama' isn't particularly scary to a jaded horror fan like yours truly, relying on well worn tropes that we've seen many times before, the movie is no less entertaining. If you like the early horror of Sam Raimi ('The Evil Dead' series, 'Drag Me to Hell') and Peter Jackson ('Dead Alive,' 'The Frighteners'), 'Mama' might just scare the bejeesus out of you.
Grade: B
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