5 fascinating female horror performances from 2019

5. Ma

The actress: Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann (Ma)

What the movie is about: Sue Ann is a strange woman who is familiar with being an outcast. She happens to encounter a group of teenagers in need of alcohol. They strike up an unusual friendship. She’ll supply them with booze and a place to party to keep them “safe.”

At first, the teens are thrilled at having a cool place to hang out, and Sue Ann is a blast to be around. All they have to do is follow a few rules. Don’t curse, don’t go into the house, and always call her “Ma.” At least at first. Then Ma’s hospitality evolves into full-on obsession, and their party pad turns into a full-blown nightmare.

Performance: You’ve never seen Octavia Spencer quite like this before. Spencer is having the time of her life in this role, and it shows. It’s not dissimilar to another performance on this list, Isabelle Huppert in Greta.

Greta and Ma share several similarities. They are both older women overwhelmed by their loneliness. They also both have, or had, a daughter who didn’t live up to their expectations. Therefore, they strive to find appreciation and perfection elsewhere through any means necessary.

As a film, Ma may have its faults, but Spencer consistently stands out as utterly entrancing and watchable. Octavia Spencer is the glue holding this film together even in the scenes where the seams are starting to unravel. She is an immense talent. I would love to see her in more horror films in the future.