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Mama is a 2013 supernatural horror movie directed by Andres Muschietti, and is inspired by his 2008 Spanish-language short film, Mamá. The movie stars Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier and Isabelle Nelisse. It tells the tale of two young sisters, Victoria and Lilly, who are abandoned in a forest cabin after their father kills their mother and goes on the run. Five years later, they are found by their Uncle Lucas (Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend, Annabel (Chastain), who take them in as their own. However, the girls begin to exhibit strange behavior and reveal that they have been cared for by a dark spirit, who they call 'Mama.'

As Uncle Lucas, Annabel, Victoria and Lilly attempt to settle into family life, they soon discover that Mama is a vengeful force that is determined to keep her "daughters" with her at all costs. The family must fight to protect the girls from Mama's wrath, while unraveling the mystery of how and why she is haunting them.

The movie begins with the murders of the girls' parents, and soon cuts to their discovery in the woods. Both Victoria and Lilly are feral in nature, barely able to communicate or walk upright, having been cared for by Mama for five years. They are taken into custody by Dr. Dreyfuss, a psychiatric specialist and mentor of Uncle Lucas, who agrees to take them in at his institution.

However, when Dr. Dreyfuss starts to investigate the girls' past, he uncovers unsettling details about Mama, leading to his untimely death. Meanwhile, Uncle Lucas and Annabel are granted custody of the girls, and move into a spacious house arranged by Dr. Dreyfuss.

Annabel, a punk rock singer who is reluctant to become a mother, struggles to connect with the girls, while Uncle Lucas is incapacitated by a suspicious accident. As Annabel becomes closer to the girls, strange occurrences in the house test her skepticism about the existence of the supernatural.

Victoria soon starts talking about Mama, a mysterious figure who has been taking care of them in the woods. As Mama's presence becomes more evident, Annabel starts to experience supernatural events that lead her to investigate Mama's origins. She discovers that Mama was a patient of Dr. Dreyfuss, and that her obsession with her own child, who was taken from her, is the reason she has been haunting the girls.

As Mama becomes jealous of Annabel's growing bond with the girls, she escalates her attacks, leading to a climactic confrontation in which Annabel and Mama face off for the safety of the children.

The movie explores the themes of motherhood, abandonment, and the lengths a parent will go to protect their child. While Mama is a supernatural horror movie, it is also a character study of Annabel and her relationship with the girls, as she learns to open her heart and embrace her maternal instincts.

Mama is a great horror movie with a solid story, great acting, and plenty of scares. Despite the jump scares and the eerie cinematography, the movie also packs an emotional punch. The relationship between Annabel and the girls is well-crafted and multi-faceted, and the way in which Mama's backstory is revealed is both chilling and tragic.

In conclusion, Mama is a gripping horror movie that is surprisingly heartfelt, exploring themes of love and sacrifice in the face of supernatural terror. While it may not reinvent the genre, it succeeds in delivering scares and emotional resonance.

Mama is a 2017 documentary with a runtime of 44 minutes.