For anyone who’s ever felt stifled by their mother, Umma is here to make you appreciate your situation! Starring the ultra talented Sandra Oh, Umma is an intriguing horror film that looks to be based on the very Korean ideals of family responsibility.
Today, Sony released a new trailer and theatrical poster for the film, which is written and directed by Iris K. Shim.
There are all kinds of problematic parenting happening in the creepy trailer, which shows Oh as a single parent raising a teenage daughter (Fivel Stewart). Even before things get really supernatural, there are numerous red flags in their isolated living situation. Then, Oh’s character receives a special delivery in the form of her mother’s ashes and things get really terrifying. Yet possibly the scariest moment of the whole trailer is when Stewart’s character explains to her friend – “My mom is my friend.” Chills.
Appropriately, the word “umma” means “mother” in Korean, and it’s exciting that the film stars a Canadian Korean actor in Oh and is written and directed by Shim, who is also of Korean descent. As a Korean American myself, the themes in this trailer already hit a bit too close too home, and I’m sure I won’t be able to sleep after watching this film.
Umma premieres in theaters March 18th so catch up on your sleep and hug your mother before then!
Official Synopsis:
Umma, which is the Korean word for “mother,” follows Amanda (Sandra Oh) and her daughter (Fivel Stewart) living a quiet life on an American farm, but when the remains of her estranged mother arrive from Korea, Amanda becomes haunted by the fear of turning into her own mother.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.