When del Toro is involved (even just as an executive producer) you know you're going to get a quality film.

Rating: 7/10 (15 March 2013)

'MAMA': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
Guillermo del Toro executive produced this supernatural horror film about two young girls left in the forest to live on their own, with a spirit (they call 'Mama') watching over them. When they're found and go to live with their uncle, and his girlfriend, 'Mama' goes with them (causing lots of havoc of course). It stars multi Oscar nominee and 'it girl' Jessica Chastain as the 'girlfriend' watching over the girls. The film was directed and co-written by Andres Muschietti. Andres wrote the film with Neil Cross and Barbara Muschietti and it's also an adaptation of a 2008 short film he wrote and directed. As far as these clichéd ghost horror films go this is a pretty entertaining one, that delivers the spooks you expect it too.
The film opens with a man named Jeffrey (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau) suffering a mental breakdown, as the outbreak of the 2008 financial crisis is upon him, and he kills his business partners and wife. He takes his two young daughters for a drive, speeding down a snow covered road, and crashes in the forest. Planning to kill himself and his daughters he takes his two young girls to a cabin, in the woods, but is killed by a ghost before he can kill the children. The two girls, Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lilly (Isabelle Nelisse), are then raised by the mysterious spirit, which they call 'Mama'. When they're found, by a search party sent by Jeffrey's brother Lucas (also played by Coaster-Waldau), they're very animalistic (Lilly walks on all fours). After being examined by a psychiatrist (Daniel Kash) the girls are sent to live with Lucas and his punk rock girlfriend Annabel (Chastain). This becomes much more work than the couple is expecting, especially when 'Mama' begins making her presence noticed.
The movie is spooky, creepy and full of great visual effects. While the film is light on actual gore, unlike a lot of other modern ghost films, you do get to see a lot of the ghost action and 'Mama' makes a pretty classic movie monster/spirit. Chastain is of course above this kind of work but her presence does make the movie that much more believable and effective. When del Toro is involved (even just as an executive producer) you know you're going to get a quality film and this one definitely delivers what fans of the genre should be expecting. I'd say It's a pretty pleasant surprise for ghost/thriller fans!
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