A One Mann’s Movies review of “Umma” (2022).
“Umma” was a #cineworldunlimited preview screening. The film opens nationwide later this week.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Amanda (Sandra Oh) had a traumatic upbringing at the hands of her abusive ‘Umma’ (“Mother” in Korean). ‘Allergic’ to electricity, she now lives an off-grid life as a beekeeper with her teenage daughter Chris (Fivel Stewart). But her past with her mother refuses to lie quietly in history.
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, Dermot Mulroney, Odeya Rush.
Directed by: Iris K. Shim.
Written by: Iris K. Shim.
Twitter Handle: #UmmaMovie.
“Umma” Review:
Positives:
- The best thing in this movie for me was Fivel Stewart. With an interesting look (her parents have Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Scottish and Native American ancestry!) she really added character and charisma to the role of Chris. In many ways the role is similar to that of Ruby in “Coda“: a restless teen, longing to venture into the outside world but trapped by a life of family commitments.
- The lack of electricity leads to a lot of low-light photography that is effectively done. This, together with the use of a few subliminal shots stuck into the edit, makes a few of the scenes creepy and unsettling.
Negatives:
- As a ‘horror-lite’ movie, I have to compare it (unfavourably) with last year’s “The Night House” starring Rebecca Hall. That had the effect of utterly creeping me out. This one did not. It has jump-scares aplenty but I found all of them utterly predictable and therefore not remotely scary.
- The story really is very slight and insubstantial. The ending in particular just fizzles out. Did they run out of money? Was there a Covid lockdown that shutdown filming? I’m all for movies that don’t outstay their welcome (this is a mere 83 minutes) but this is like “exiting stage left chased by a bear” where they’ve forgotten to add the bear.
- The film throws in useful dimensions of the ‘allergy’ to electricity and the bee-keeping. But it then seems to pretty universally ignore them. I understand how they fit into the story. But I was waiting for more of a payoff from these that never came.
- I love “Killing Eve” (well, the first series at least). But I’m afraid I find Sandra Oh a bit of a one-trick acting pony. Don’t get me wrong, she is fine here. But I found it a bit of a single-note ‘Eve-like’ performance.
Summary Thoughts on “Umma”
When I realised that “Umma” meant “Mother” I was fearful that this was going to be as gruelling a watch as the mind-scrambling “mother!” from 2017! But my nerves were not to be challenged by this one. But this was not a memorable movie and I think most of the audience left the cinema thinking “Is that it?”.
Trailer for “Umma”
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQdXvvtu-iI .
