Mama - 6 stars out of 10

Mama - 6 stars out of 10

"Mama" is a thrilling fairy tale whose momentum leaves you breathless until its disappointing ending.  Since the only bad part of this film is its ending, I will save that for the end of this review.  This awesome ghost story delivers clean thrills that are easily approved for teenagers, much like "The Ring" in the early 2000's.  The plot is believable and does a good job of setting itself up for scary moments (little girls that crawl around like animals and appearing around the corner, unexplainable sounds and other phenomena).  Perhaps the most impressive part of the film is its artistry that is reminiscent of Hitchcock.  This approach is best exemplified in the early scene where the camera reveals the entire hallway and part of the children's bedroom.  A surprise is slowly revealed without the camera ever moving while your imagination is still responsible for filling in a few blanks.  The other great example comes straight from Hitchcock's own bag of tricks as the character uses a camera to light his way and these occasional flashes of light reveal the scene.  Again, the imagination is much more powerful than the image, which is where this film eventually falls short.  This script draws the ending out way too long, not only killing the film's momentum but also exposing the CGI villain for so long that she is no longer realistic.  This is a clear case of showing the monster too much, which is ironic as Hitchcock was the master of doing the opposite.  The ending has been heavily debated and I can be okay with the non-traditional resolution, just not the way that it was portrayed.  With Jessica Chastain being the only big-name actor in this film, the acting is surprisingly good.  I would see "Mama" again and recommend it to any fan of thrillers or horror films, but prepare yourself to be disappointed with the way that this film wraps up.  It is the "Woman In Black Syndrome" at its finest.