Decent thriller, I did not feel like I lost two hours of my life.

Pros: Seeing Octavia Spencer in this type of movie is refreshing, she has real acting chops and they show even with this limited script.

Cons: Movie did not give a proper development to what happens. We see something earlier on, but there would have been a pattern long before the 'thriller' part started happening. The changes in tone felt 'rushed'.

Not winning awards, but watchable.

This low budget (by Hollywood standards, anyway) production from Blumhouse is a return to the psycho-thrillers of old, essaying a fine performance from Octavia Spencer as a more realistic and believable villain than many. In some ways the plot is slightly reminiscent of THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH albeit transplanted to modern times, although of course in all other respects this doesn't even come close to approaching the power of that Aussie classic. MA is a film which I'd call good rather than great. Spencer is excellent, the rest of the characters either uninteresting or unlikeable, particularly the stock American teenagers. I did like the slow burn approach which makes the climax all the more shocking.

New high school transfer student Maggie Thompson (Diana Silvers) lives with her mother Erica (Juliette Lewis) who moved back to her home town after various failures to work as a casino waitress. Maggie is befriended by Haley (McKaley Miller) and her friends. They try to recruit adults to buy them beer and Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) agrees. Later, she invites them to party at her house and it becomes a student hot spot. She asks them to call her Ma.

This could be a functional horror movie. I can see a crazy Octavia Spencer turning on a group of hapless teens. It doesn't work here for a variety of reasons. It tries to slow burn the story. It tries to have another layer with her daughter. It tries to explain her by giving her a history. The ending has a lot of bad decisions and bad turns. Octavia is giving it all into the role but it's a top price steak in a sour stew.