‘Mother, May I?’: It’s Not Just A Game Anymore [BHFF

Mother, May I? is not the creepy haunting or possession movie most of us are probably looking for. There is no high body count or moments that make us jump. Instead, it’s more of an exploration of mommy issues set to simmer on the front burner. The real horror of the movie stems from relationship dynamics and stifled emotions.

After Emmett’s (Kyle Gallner) mother dies, he and his fiancée Anya (Holland Roden) find themselves roaming around her pro[erty. Even though they were estranged, Emmett’s mom has left him the large home, and he intends to sell it and go back to not dealing with his feelings of abandonment from a woman he barely knew. However, after taking shrooms on the property things take a very weird turn. During the game the couple uses to communicate, Anya starts behaving like Emmett’s mother. This is where Mother, May I? picks up steam, and we get to see Roden begin to really stretch her acting muscles. Gone is the insecure girlfriend trying to support her partner while wondering about his ulterior motives for wanting a kid. She is replaced with a graceful, direct, albeit a creepy version of a mother who never got to say goodbye to her son. 

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While it takes Emmett way too long to figure out Anya is gone, Gallner manages to keep this character believable. We find ourselves rooting for Emmett to overcome his mommy issues and be honest with himself about his engagement. The movie tries to leave the possible haunting ambiguous and even tries to convince us that Anya might be faking this at times. That doesn’t ever work because the character switch is too drastic. However, I could see it being a blending of mother and girlfriend as it tries to explore Emmett’s psyche. Perhaps it’s digging at that old idea that men want to marry their mothers too literally. 

Writer-director Laurence Vannicelli’s Mother, May I? is serving mommy issues in three different ways. We have Emmett, who believed he was abandoned by his estranged dead mom. We have his mother’s ghost who possessed Anya and seemingly is still trying to be a mother to the son she chose to have. Then we have Anya’s insecurities which we’re led to believe stem from her own mother issues. There is also the notion that Emmett and Anya might want a kid for selfish reasons which is a whole other can of worms. This drama unfolds in front of a creepy backdrop we never fully explore. The few glimmers of possible danger are quickly brushed away as we go back to dissecting needs, wants, and mothers. 

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Mother, May I? feels like more of a playground for these two actors to showcase what they can do than a movie made to rattle the audience. It’s not a bad showcase, and I hope they were both artistically fulfilled. But the result leaves us with a one-sided relationship with a movie that never truly goes anywhere. 

Let me know what you thought of Mother, May I? if you caught it at BHFF at @misssharai.

Summary

There’s a lot of mommy issues left to still unpack with this one. However, the two leads keep us engaged for the duration of the ride.

Tags: Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2022 Mother May I


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