Mother monster

Chameleon-like Jessica Chastain plays a rock musician faced with impromptu motherhood and the unusual terrors that come with it in the creepy “Mama,” directed by Andres Muschietti and co-produced by Guillermo Del Toro. The supernatural aspect of the film is obviously Asian-inspired; like in some iconic horror flicks from the region, the titular mother is horrendously deformed, a slithery and agile bogey-being. The CGI creation, however, sometimes looks under-rendered, sticking out in some pivotal scenes and lessening the scares a bit. Ultimately, it’s predictable, but it’s still quite disturbing, and strangely enough, even bittersweet.