Khristine E. Bayotlang GRADE 11 STEM A ST.
PETER
UMMA (2022)
Cast: Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, MeeWha Alana Lee
Director: Iris Shim
This movie was good. Many people are unaware that the film is not about the
acting or the horror, but rather about the generational pain experienced by immigrant
families. It's kind of unrealistic for someone like me because Asian mothers never
acknowledge they're wrong or apologies, but this movie truly shows how she wanted to
be free and different, how she wanted to enjoy her life, and how she finally realized that
her mother was also wrong. I believe that the elderly woman dressed in hanbok will be
mocked in horror comedies like "Scary Movies". This movie didn't let me down, unlike
other clickbait films that appear good in the trailer but are terrible once you watch them.
Even if there were a few jump scares, the horror quality was just slightly present.
Umma is the story of Amanda, a Korean-American who left her controlling
mother after their family immigrated to America. After the mother passes away, an uncle
finds Amanda and delivers the mother's ashes and possessions to her farmhouse.
Amanda herself has a daughter. A daughter belongs to Amanda. Both experience what
appear to be paranormal events and demonic possessions. It teaches a lot, and
because most people haven't dealt with immigrant family issues, they don't seem to
understand the generational trauma and burden that we children and adults have from
immigrant families. Her mother abused her for wanting to be herself because she was
too afraid of wanting to be alone and thought that her daughter leaving was a big
problem because she didn't want to be alone. It covers a lot of ground, so if many of you
find it difficult to understand, keep it to yourself because you obviously have never faced
with family issues.
The film's horror parts and cultural connections truly serve as a backdrop for its
main focus relationships. The concept of Sandra Oh's film, explores the likelihood that
we may eventually resemble our parents more and more. Given the complexity of
mother-daughter relationships, this causes conflicting emotions in the majority of
women. "Umma" is a compelling and ambitious drama that is willing to tackle a variety
of serious topics, including the negative sides of immigration, parent-child relationships,
and the numerous ways that trauma can be carried, sometimes unknowingly, from one
generation to the next. These ideas are covered in several well written situations that
are propelled by solid work by the dependable Oh, Stewart, and Odeya Rush. During
these parts, "Umma" is an incredibly good work and it retained my interest. Rush gets a
few snappy scenes as Mulroney's niece from the city who meets the lonely Chrissy and
opens her eyes to the potential that Amanda may not be totally truthful about her
allergy.
The protagonist of Umma must keep her daughter and herself away from any
history that can bring back memories of her tragic past since the thought of even
somewhat resembling her mother is terrifying to her. Her calm life, however, transforms
into a horror movie when that history confronts her in the shape of her mother's ashes.
With an unexpected edge of tension and thrill, Sandra Oh performed her role with the
same delicacy as her timelessly brilliant performance in Grey's Anatomy. This is not a
movie for show. Regardless of who makes Sandra Oh's movies, she is a good
performer. The issue is that talented actresses shouldn't ever be handed horror films to
act in. To begin with, fear is the simplest emotion to portray even supporting actors,
minor roles, and extras can do it well. Sandra Oh should be given genuine roles in
which she can fully engage herself because the world has yet to recognize what a great
performer she is.
The supernatural aspects of "Umma" are the problem. This is not to imply that
the plot points in this story could not possible be the basis for a horror movie quite the
opposite, they most definitely could. The issue is that the scary stuff, which typically
appears as creatures appearing from the shadows or Umma otherwise making her
presence known, is simply not handled really effectively. As I previously stated, "Umma"
is ultimately decent enough to suggest, and it is probably a bad movie for anybody who
were just attracted in by Raimi's name. It makes me wondering about where Shim goes
from here and what she might be able to accomplish with a more consistently toned
screenplay, if nothing else.
Umma isn't necessarily the most original genre movie to be released this year,
but I just enjoyed how earnestly the story approaches all the genre elements and the
relationships of these characters. The end result is a mixture of breaking away and
compromise. The idea that all immigrants find the promised land is simply not true. A lot
suffer to adjust and survive and some fail to do so altogether. A stark reminder of the
real horrors in life. The ending tries desperately to offer a balance of existence in its
compromise but a compromise is always unsatisfying. There is no happy ending just
another form of survival and moving on. An excellent metaphor at abusive parent-child
relationships, that speaks to those of us who know the subject and may explain what it
feels like, for those who do not.
