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Cast: Holland Roden, Kyle Gallner, Chris Mulkey
Emmett wants to clean and flip his recently deceased mother's house: get in, get out, and avoid any trauma still lingering from when she abandoned him as a young child. Anya, his fiancé, see's this as an opportunity to finally force Emmett to deal with his trauma because she believes it is preventing him from being the partner she needs. So she convinces him to take mushrooms to get him to let go. But something strange happens while they're tripping: she starts behaving like his mother. The next morning he wakes up sober, but she still won't drop the act... Anya loves playing games - is this her taking it too far? Or did his mother's spirit somehow possess her?
'Mother, May, I' tells the story of Emmett who inherits mother's home after she suddenly passes away. The only thing Emmett knows about his mother is she gave him away at a young age. He has been traumatized by it his whole life so he decides to go up the home to get it ready to sell. The home is in the country, it is an old rustic home, beautiful with beams exposed. We also find out that Emmett and his fiancé, Anya are having problems of their own. One night Anya talks Emmett into taking mushrooms thinking it might loosen him up and he can move on from his past but instead it seems to cause even more mayhem when Anya begins acting and dressing like his mother. Is she playing a cruel joke on him or is she trying to get him to confront his past once and for all or is she some how possessed by the spirit of his late mother?
I can't say for sure if this is going to be a film for everyone simply because it tells a story and is played out in slow and deliberate way. Anya seemingly possessed by his mother takes a big tool on Emmett's mental health which wasn't that good in the first place. And then there is the secret and Anya is keeping which will soon be exposed.
'Mother, May, I' is a psychological thriller from Writer/Director, Laurence Vannicelli. And it happens to be his debut feature film. This is a remarkable film to debut with and it will be a hard one to top but I look forward to seeing what he does next.
Another thing that made this film so good was its cast, Kyle Gallner who plays Emmett and Holland Roden who plays Anya have given career performances here. The film counts on the main characters to bring all the different emotions in a cleaver and convincing way and both are simply amazing. The film also stars veteran actor Chris Mulkey who is fantastic in the limited screen time he gets in the film as a neighbor and the one that found Emmett's mother dead.
'Mother, May, I' will grab your attention right from the start and you will feel all the same emotions as the two are feeling during the film. It might be a slow burn but it is a gem that will have you thinking during and long after the credits start to roll. It will have you spooked and terrified as it gets in your head and under your skin on the way to its amazing end.
**** Out Of *****