"Ma" is a psychological horror film that explores how past trauma influences adult decisions and behaviors. The main character, Sue Ann, befriends high school students as a way to seek revenge against her childhood bullies. The film delves into themes of race, gender, and teen movie tropes, while also examining the dangers of revenge and the lasting impact of unprocessed grief.

The psychological horror film Ma ending examines how past trauma informs adult decisions. An outcast woman struggles to maintain healthy relationships with people her own age, so she befriends high school students instead. Directed by Tate Taylor, Ma is grounded by the main character’s internalized grief and ulterior motives, and provides a subtextual commentary on race, gender, and teen movie tropes. In Ma, Octavia Spencer portrays Sue Ann Ellington, a veterinary technician living in Ohio. She meets a group of high school students and agrees to buy alcohol for them.