Welcome to the Blumhouse 2021’s new film Madres is now out on Amazon Prime Video. Written by Mario Miscione and Marcella Ochoa, it is directed by Ryan Zaragoza. The 83-minute horror film stars Ariana Guerra , Tenoch Huerta, Jennifer Patino, Evelyn Gonzalez, Robert Larriviere and Ashleigh Lewis. The makers claim that the story is inspired by true events.
The synopsis reads – Expecting their first child, a Mexican-American couple move to a migrant farming community in 1970’s California where strange symptoms and terrifying visions threaten their new family.
Amazon Prime’s Madres Review Does Not Contain Spoilers
The film opens with the quote, “The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” It hints that it’s not always the spirits that are bad; humans are equally terrible. In Madres, a pregnant Diana (Ariana Guerra) and her husband, Beto (Tenoch Huerta), move to a new place at the beginning of the film. Beto easily gels with the community, but Diana feels neglected as she doesn’t speak Spanish.
Beto works daily as the new manager, and his pregnant wife spends most of the time inside their new house. She experiences discomfort and suspicious activities in her new house. She looks for clues in some stuff left by the previous owner of the house. The outer world isn’t good either, concerning pregnant women. In 83 minutes of Amazon Prime’s Madres, Diana tries to figure out what’s happening as she worries about her unborn child. The film has a depressing undertone, no joy in a single frame, and a sad town with hardly any kids.
Madres on Amazon Prime ticks off the basic elements used in most horror stories – a couple, a new town, a new house, an unfriendly neighbourhood, etc. It’s always eerily calm before we hear something loud or scary. The jumpscare technique is used in every horror movie, including Ryan’s latest release. Unfortunately, it falls flat and fails to scare.
Still from the film
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Just like Diana, as a viewer, I wanted to know what was going on with her and other women in the community. The revelation of what’s happening to these pregnant women (racist act) is chilling. But the makers take too much time to establish the same. Some scenes with Diana inside the house are claustrophobic. The suspense isn’t revealed until the end. I am okay with mystery, with this particular story was stretched a lot. The director could’ve wrapped the story in 60 minutes. In today’s time, one doesn’t need to make lengthy movies to send their message to the audience.
Amazon Prime Video’s Madres Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, Madres is a decent film that can be watched one time for the topic it tackles. The actors have done a good job, especially Ariana Guerra. Tenoch Huerta as Diana’s husband Beto is admirable. There are end credit scenes that highlight the unfortunate truth that inspired the story. Do not miss them.
The Welcome to the Blumhouse’s new movie is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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