Directed by Cristian Ponce, A Mother’s Embrace is a Brazilian psychological horror that explores PTSD and the all consuming experience of grief and childhood trauma.
Ana (played by Marjorie Estiano) is a firefighter returning to her full duties after suffering from a breakdown triggered by her childhood memories of being trapped in a fire. With torrential rain and catastrophic floods on the way, her team must head to a nursing home to evacuate the residents. Once there, Ana and her team find the residents resistant to relocation despite the imminent danger, and as her team members begin to go missing one-by-one, Ana realises there may be a greater danger putting her life at risk than just the impending weather disaster.
After investigating the dilapidated building further, Ana comes across a little girl Lia (Maria Volpe) who is scared and desperate to escape the residence, however the mysterious behaviour of both the owner Drica, played by Ângelo Rebelo, and home manager Ulisses, played by Javier Drolas, makes it increasingly harder to leave, and with a mysterious creature gliding through the water, Ana and Lia’s chance of survival begin to dwindle.
Focusing on a woman afflicted by a traumatic past and the subsequent PTSD, A Mother’s Embrace is a tension filled puzzle where the state of mind of Ana is reflected in a crumbling labyrinth of an elderly residential home. Marjorie Estiano plays Ana with a fragile strength, despite her stubbornness to regain her place in the team, and to prove her worth, under the surface bubbles a fragility beginning to crack.
Despite a buildup soaked in intrigue and mystery, unfortunately the ending falls slightly short resulting in a conclusion that feels anticlimactic. However overall A Mother’s Embrace is an effective portrayal of a collapsing mind attempting to cope with an impending disaster.
3.5 Screams out of 5
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