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And, clearly, they are not alone. Weird apparitions materialize: Large moths and web-like patterns on the walls and, in a brilliantly architectural fixed shot from a hallway, the sight of little Lilly tugging playfully with an mostly unseen presence through a door frame. This may be a pristine, immaculate looking house, but it's also haunted. With a couple of obviously expendable supporting characters hanging around just so they can be dispatched by frisky culprit lurking in the walls, Muschietti does a pretty good job of sustaining one's interest until finally needing to let the cat (or whatever it is) out of the bag. What this very hairy thing turns out to be is scarcely any surprise at all, but it's still good for a few more startling moments before being revealed in its full and eerie glory. The director cheapens his work's feel by overly relying upon loud and abrupt musical cues to unsettle the viewer, but the enterprise otherwise sports a classy profile thanks to Antonio Riestra's refined cinematography, Michele Conroy's expert editing and generally top production values. Playing a more downscale character than usual, Chastain doesn't seem entirely at one with the more derelict sides of Annabel but compensates by her gradual revelations of the woman's evolving sense of responsibility. "Mama," a Universal release, is rated PG-13 for violence and terror, some disturbing images and thematic elements. 100 minutes. ___ Motion Picture Association of America rating definition for PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
[Associated
Press;
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