For a while, the Zainab Azizi & Sam Raimi-produced title is on par with its skillful lead
Sandra Oh has always had range, and her demonstration of it for viewers has always been spectacular. However, the feat she’s pulled this month will be tough to trounce. Oh has folks turning red one Friday and blanch white the next. And she pulls off the jaw-dropping swing in an on-screen mold as traditionally restrictive as “mother to a teenage daughter.” That said, whereas Mrs. Lee in Turning Red strives to adapt whenever possible, Amanda (Oh) in Umma refuses to.
Having fully cut technology from her life, explanations of “influencers” and “views” to Amanda have no meaning to her. It’s fine if her only gal pal is her daughter, Chrissy (Fivel Stewart). To beekeep and produce honey for the local grocer, Danny (Dermot Mulroney), is the only routine. Sure, there’s harshness in the household, especially when Chrissy’s perspective becomes central. Like Turning Red, though, it doesn’t reduce the characterization to tiger mom cliches. Like Domee Shi for her Pixar film, Iris K. Shim has given the trait some thought and background via direction and writing, rendering the quality as the lasting product of imperfect kinship instead of—yet again—a simple tool in the drama toolbox.
One day, Amanda’s uncle (Tom Yi) travels all the way from Korea to hand her the ashes of her mother (MeeWha Alana Lee). He also declares that there must be a proper burial, or the deceased matriarch will haunt the grounds as a gwisin, characterized in the film as a ghost wearing a dark purple hanbok and a dull-colored tal. Naturally, she is hesitant. For a proper procession, Amanda will have to fool herself into believing the sweetness around her today has no relation to the bitterness she had to endure in her youth. That someone else caused the burn scar on her hand, not Umma forcing her to grip an exposed electrical wire as hinted in the film’s opening. The resulting fear of lightning? Imaginary. The lashing sounds when she flips a switch on and off? Purely coincidental. That’s one too many non-truths for Amanda—or is it Soo-hyun?—with far too little time to process.
A strong choice in the pivotal Amanda-Uncle moment is that both actors speak Korean with their exchanges English-subtitled. Although not a must, it’s an elegant way for Umma to distinguish itself from most Western-produced and Western-based maternal hauntings, to let the horror be a culturally-rooted identity crisis. Doing so also twists insides in ways gotchas or shadowy glimpses can never do. The code-switching robs Amanda and viewers of a comfort zone. It gives context to an emotional barrier Amanda has purposefully built as “survival,” however damaging. It turns the roots you should be proud of into a thorny matter. It later rattles Chrissy when she applies for college. She’s seeing aspects of the world others, like the grocer’s niece River (Odeya Rush), already know.
The film’s notion of “possession,” as a result, has a refreshing tweak. Along with implying the gwisin’s ability, the “don’t become your mother” tagline suggests the antagonist is something a character grows into, not an external threat. That is happening to Amanda when her Umma arrives at last. If the paranoia and tension continue, Chrissy’s future self is her mother, at her most fractured. For someone growing up in a culture with the aphorism, “Cha mẹ đặt đâu con ngồi đấy” (literally “You sit where your parents have decided”), this is some soul-draining stuff.
Speaking of, Umma’s business of scaring operates in an interesting fashion. On the one hand, it shows an appreciation of the layers Shim has embedded into the story. A couple of notable set pieces use Leah Butler’s costumes to jolt (one weaponizes a hanbok, and another fleetingly morphs a meshed hat into a mourning veil). A couple challenges the rustic comforts of Yong Ok Lee’s sets with isolation and darkness. On the other hand, both design and execution falter the more things amp up. If it isn’t the unremarkable CGI (even when not extensively applied), it’s the choppier editing from Louis Cioffi and Kevin Greutert.
But through thick or thin, or whether Amanda is sane or slipping, Umma stays on track because of Oh. The film is watchable based on her performance as a scarred daughter, a mother with secrets, and a person insecure and lonely. Asking “Do you want to go to college?“ as if it’s an affront. Flinching when the suitcase of remains opens. That strong of a showcase warrants the desire for Shim to have made Umma more of a force. As it is, it provides scares with meaning that is less biting as it goes on, but ultimately is still an admirable entrance into the feature scene.
Umma is now playing in theaters.
Umma Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial