67
Haunting and extremely atmospheric, Mama is a horror film imbued with an unsettling and affecting power.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
12
The premise isn't even worthy of executive producer Guillermo del Toro, who will apparently lend his name to any film as long as it fulfills its quota of moths and vulvic openings.
50
Mama, for all her digital and prosthetic creepiness, is finally a bit of a bore.
60
Expertly conjured atmosphere only gets Muschietti so far, but there's enough genuine promise here that you're willing to cut this talented newcomer some slack.
40
Village Voice by Melissa Anderson
Mama never delivers the primal terror its premise would suggest.
50
Trading in her red locks for kohl-lined eyes like a raccoon and the vampire look of Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, [Chastain] is the spookiest thing in Mama. Everything else is cable television.
83
The A.V. Club by Tasha Robinson
Plenty of horror movies are willing to settle for making audiences jump. Mama is more ambitious by far: It makes sure viewers are emotionally committed even when they aren't clutching their armrests or covering their eyes.
70
The Hollywood Reporter by Todd McCarthy
Mama represents a throwback and a modest delight for people who like a good scare but prefer not to be terrorized or grossed out.