Mara is the kind of movie that would scare the hell out of my wife. I only know what I know about sleep paralysis because it’s one of two things that scares her. The other being the rise of A.I. self-awareness. While no one has made a movie about people with sleep paralysis being attacked by self-aware robots, I eagerly await the day. For now, Olga Kurylenko carries the weight of the role well.
The film follows Kurylenko stalking a demon that attacks people in their sleep. I’m not talking about Fred Krueger shenanigans, but more of a demon looming over them at night. There is a healthy bit of world building, as apparently this demon has been stalking people for centuries. Yet, it’s funny how a criminal psychologist can discover this world in a nice package within days of investigating.
Olga Kurylenko continues as an actress that I find appealing, yet never does enough to warrant me wanting to see her in a film. Does this film change that? No, not at all. However, I appreciate the effort.
Suspension of disbelief is required, as this fictional low-budget tale might crumble under the scrutiny of your Millennial world view. Moving past that little nugget, you will find a movie that works as a neat little thriller. Not everything has to be heavy fare, so it’s nice to see a little morsel that isn’t complete garbage. Why yes, this is a positive review.
Mara is now available.
