Mama
Metascore
57 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 35
  3. Negative: 3 out of 35
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  1. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    Jan 17, 2013
    40
    If you're going to have a ghost in your movie, it might be a good thing to present a viable alternative to that ghost. Mama, however, presents a battle between two not very good options before crumbling like a sheet on a string.
  2. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Melissa Anderson
    Jan 15, 2013
    40
    Mama never delivers the primal terror its premise would suggest.
  3. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    Jan 17, 2013
    38
    There's something dead and rotting at the center of Mama, and it isn't the ghost of the woman who lends the horror film its title.
  4. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Erik McClanahan
    Jan 17, 2013
    33
    By the time the ridiculous child psychologist character encounters a government employee with a convenient bounty of useful information, Mama just becomes laughable, then annoying.
  5. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Ed Gonzalez
    Jan 16, 2013
    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.
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 125 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 48
  3. Negative: 8 out of 48
  1. WhySoSerious54
    2
    If you like horror movies with non stop CGI, a storyline used over and over, unlikable characters, no real scares, and a ghost that looks like something out of a bad cartoon. Than this is for you. The theater was laughing non stop at the stupid that is Mama. Its as dumb as the title.… Full Review »
  2. rocketpackpanda
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. It's a bit of a clunker. The movie is shot very well, creepy dark gloom and one especially cool flashback. The acting is for the most part serviceable if not solid. Jessica Chastain in particular does well with the material (better than the morose standing about and pouting we got to see from her in ZDT). The movie's story is standard stuff so dont expect anything big or game changing here. Though overall the movie is mediocre, the parts that are bad, are incredibly bad. One scene in particular stands out, In a dream world Luke (nicolai coster-waldau) speaks to a ghost who speaks in what could be one of the worst professional audio mixes in a decade. Another part of the film is the scripts use of characters. Luke as a character is unnecessary, he really does nothing and the film would have been more effective without him, which in turn would have given you a shorter and tighter film. As well the script has plenty of inane, why did this, or that doesn't make any sense, moments. Overall the film is alright, but I'd think twice about paying theater prices too see it.… Full Review »
  3. Kush1991
    9
    One of those very rare horror flicks tat never fail to impress u.A lot of genuine scary scenes.Even if ur one of those people who can sit through all of the scenes that cause a stir the storyline will never disappoint u.the story has been well written.The movie is calm and quiet throughout the story moves at a decent pace...also not one of those dull movies or those set of horror movies that end on a depressing note..and yes, it also does a brilliant job at making u jump out of your seat when u have to unlike most other movies that try to force tat upon u and fail.… Full Review »
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