The Deranged Thriller Ma Gave Octavia Spencer A Chance To Go Full Horror Movie Villain
Since the advent of cinema, horror movies have remained a popular and profitable constant in the lives of movie fans. Horror films are also some of the fastest ways for studios to make massive profits, as low-overhead costs mean it's much easier to turn a profit compared to a mega-blockbuster with an enormous budget. Because of this, horror films of all budget levels are being churned out constantly, and some of Hollywood's brightest stars got their start in the business by screaming their heads off while covered in blood.
Unfortunately, there's also a stigma attached to the horror genre rooted in, as /Film writer Deshawn "Dela Doll" Thomas described, "pretentious elitism and genre bias fueled by a narrow concept of prestige" when explaining why the Oscars often snub horror films out of awards contention. It's ironic considering how many Oscar winners have horror roles in their filmography, including Anthony Hopkins, Will Smith, Joaquin Phoenix, Gary Oldman, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Nicholson, Geoffrey Rush, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Renée Zellweger, Julianne Moore, and Helen Mirren.
Earning the Oscar often means an actor will spend the rest of their career on more "serious" projects, but there are folks like Joan Crawford, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lupita Nyong'o, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Kaluuya, and Jennifer Tilly who have all returned to horror even after earning the distinction of being one of the best performers in the industry. But no other actor has won an Oscar and gone on to portray a horror role that has truly permeated pop culture quite like Octavia Spencer in "Ma."
From bit parts to mega-stardom
Octavia Spencer has a fascinating career trajectory — one that could make for its own Hollywood story. After graduating college, Spencer worked as an intern on the Whoopi Goldberg film "The Long Walk Home" before moving to Los Angeles in 1997 at the behest of her friend Tate Taylor, who would cast Spencer in her Oscar-winning role of Minny Jackson in "The Help" 14 years later. After moving to L.A., Spencer made a living playing guest spots on TV and random "anybody" type roles in films like Nurse Annette in "A Time to Kill," one of Drew Barrymore's coworkers in "Never Been Kissed," and a security guard in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde." In fact, only two years before she won her Academy Award, she was still playing these smaller parts in films like "Halloween II" and "Dinner for Schmucks."
All of that changed after "The Help." Suddenly, Spencer was taking high-profile roles in films like "Fruitvale Station," "Snowpiercer," "Hidden Figures," and "The Shape of Water." Even when Spencer returned to roles she'd previously played, like Opal in "Bad Santa 2," it came with the metatextual in-joke that an Oscar-winner was popping up in the "low-brow" comedy. But it was in 2019 when Spencer signed on to the psychological horror film for Blumhouse, "Ma," that changed the trajectory of her career once again. The film was based on a script by Scotty Landes, but came to fruition out of director Tate Taylor's hope to direct a truly disturbing film and provide a vehicle for Spencer to play a character that was nothing like the plethora of "helpers" she frequently played.
Shattering stereotypes
In "Ma," Octavia Spencer plays a lonely woman named Sue Ann who develops an unlikely friendship with a group of high schoolers after she's approached by them to buy them alcohol. The kids all call her "Ma" because she quickly allows the teens to use her house as their safe hangout to party and drink underage, but the more time the teens spend with her, the more it becomes apparent that there's something very, very wrong with Ma.
"These types of roles haven't really been available to women of color and I think it's about time that changes," Spencer told Variety during the film's red carpet premiere. "Any young actress, should she want to star in a romantic comedy that should be available to her, if she wants to star in a horror film, that should be available to her. So, it's exciting to play something outside of the three archetypes that people like to see me in." Initially, Spencer didn't even humor the idea of starring in a horror film because of the genre's "Black person dies first" trope. It wasn't until after director Tate Taylor told her, "Well, not only do you not die within the first 15 minutes, you get to kill everybody," that Spencer was ready to get on board.
The role of Sue Ann was originally written as a white woman, but by casting Spencer as the lead, "Ma" subverts so many of the stereotypes of Black women in horror, especially the tired "mammy" role. The borderline absurdity of her character's actions also meant the film was ripe for memes and reaction gifs on social media. Whether it was predicting the next Ghostface in "Scream" or Logan Roy's successor on "Succession," there was bound to be a tweet from someone suggesting Ma.
The staying power of streaming
Despite average reviews upon release, "Ma" has become a cultural phenomenon. Sure, the memes have helped keep the character in the public's consciousness, but as the Netflix top 10 has shown every time the film hits the streaming platform, plenty of people are still watching the film.
There have even been demands from fans for a "Ma" sequel, something director Tate Taylor has already gone on record saying hopes will happen. "Can you believe how much 'Ma' lives on? Isn't that just crazy?" Taylor told Entertainment Weekly during an interview. "I don't think we thought 'Ma' was going to have this afterlife as this cult thing, and I think it's worth discussing [a sequel]. I know Octavia would do it, that's why I purposely left her death ambiguous!" Tate said that his idea is that Ma moved out of her hometown and became a realtor, hosting open houses and killing people that come to showings. "I think she'd be a real estate agent in the Pacific Northwest, and just murder white people looking at McMansions," he said.
Part of why "Ma" has had such staying power is that Spencer's performance is just as dynamic as her role in "The Help," and is proof that a good actor is a good actor regardless of genre. The film would have likely fallen into schlock obscurity if it wasn't for Spencer's borderline Grand Guignol delivery and commitment to making Sue Ann a complex, fully-realized baddie. She has become one of horror's great female villains, and a character fans will continue to flock toward year after year. Just don't take the Lord's name in vain, don't spit on her floors, and don't make her drink alone.
"Ma" is currently available on Hulu with premium subscriptions and on VOD.