Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Ma.
The 2019 horror movie Ma includes foreshadowing in the opening scene that gives away the movie’s biggest twist. In the film, Sue Ann Ellington (Octavia Spencer) plays a vet tech who befriends a group of teenagers, allowing them to drink and party in her basement. Sue Ann quickly becomes sinister and controlling when the teenagers pull away from her, leading to a horrifying climax during Ma‘s ending. After its release, Ma gained praise in reviews due to the social commentary and brilliant acting. Additionally, the movie included small elements, like foreshadowing, that created a compelling and engaging narrative.
Most good horror movies will use foreshadowing to hint at eventual twists and turns down the line. This helps build anticipation without completely spoiling the movie or character arcs. Ma‘s use of foreshadowing shows the brilliance of the psychological horror/thriller. The film includes a seemingly throwaway interaction in the opening scene that actually foreshadows the biggest twist during the Ma movie’s ending.
Maggie Accidentally Thanking Genie For Being A Lifesaver Foreshadowed Ma’s Ending
In Ma‘s opening, Maggie comes across Genie stuck at the bottom of the ramp because Genie’s electric wheelchair didn’t charge properly. She helps push Genie to the top, and Genie says, “Thanks for being so nice. You’re a lifesaver.” Maggie gives the awkward response, “Yeah. You, too.” As soon as they head in different directions, Maggie questions her statement, cringing at the interaction. On its own, this seems like a scene meant to introduce Maggie and Genie as well as establish their personalities. It has very little impact on the plot of the movie. On reflection, the scene foreshadows the biggest twist in Ma‘s ending.
At the end of Ma, Sue Ann throws another party with the teenagers, drugging and torturing them in ways that fit with their archetypes. Despite Maggie’s best efforts, she can’t help her friends escape. Instead, she also gets drugged and tied up. In a turn of events, Genie hits her mom with a frying pan in order to Maggie and her friends – a moment that saves their lives. This gives meaning to the fact that Maggie accidentally told Genie she also was a lifesaver at the beginning of Ma.
Why Ma Really Took Genie Out Of School & Made Her Sick
When Genie is first introduced in Ma, she’s presented as a teenager who uses a wheelchair and goes to the same high school as Maggie; however, she soon stops going to school due to a sickness. Later, the movie reveals that Genie doesn’t need a wheelchair, isn’t really sick, and gets drugged by her mother. This reveal has three major implications for Ma.
Firstly, this plotline in Ma creates more mystery around the character Genie, making it impactful when she later saves Maggie and her friends. Secondly, Genie’s story in Ma heavily implies that Sue Ann has a factitious disorder imposed on another (previously called Munchausen by proxy), an implication further reinforced by the character’s traumas and the fact that Genie’s doctors don’t believe she’s sick. Unfortunately, by painting Sue Ann as a depraved person, the movie stigmatizes a complex but treatable mental illness – a common issue in the horror genre. Lastly, Genie’s victimization combined with her eventual heroic act in Ma reinforces the message that victims of abuse can break the cycle.
