Mama’s Boy is a brand-new horror short film written, directed, and produced by Samantha Kolesnik. Rather than a premise, the film asks the question, “In a society where the maternal bond is of the highest regard, how can Joshua love himself, and how will anyone ever love him, if his own mother did not?”
Kolesnik is not a newcomer to the horror scene. She is, in fact, a very active member of the indie horror community; writing and directing a number of short films and even co-founding the Women In Horror Film Festival (WIHFF). An avid supporter of her fellow filmmakers, Kolesnik not only goes out of her way to promote up-and-coming artists on social media but also sheds light upon new film festivals, genre actors and actresses, and scriptwriters.
Her latest contribution to the world of indie horror is yet another testament to a personality that deserves more attention. While far from my personal taste (I like my horror fantastic and fictional), Kolesnik gives us a glimpse into what constitutes dark, real horror; a sexually abusive relationship between mother and son. There is little in this world that is looked upon with more condemnation, repugnance, and perturbation than a sexually abusive parent or pedophile and Kolesnik takes the less talked about route—the abusive mother and damaged son.
Whilst not necessarily an overly graphic watch in an exploitation sense, the film’s eleven-minute runtime has some difficult scenes to take in, some left to the imagination, others not so much. We understand the greater story with very little effort, which deserves a tip of the hat to Kolesnik’s ability to tell a greater story within a very limited frame. The story itself is dark and hopefully unrelatable to most, but powerful enough to have a lasting impact; something that resides within you for a while afterward—leaving you thinking and morbidly empathetic.
Joshua (Malcolm Mills) definitely deserves a healthy round of applause. He monologues throughout most of the film and his acting is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the short. He comes across as something of an oxymoron; submissive by nature and yet single-minded and focused. His torture has left him with both a broken mind and an indomitable will to do whatever necessary for his one and only friend…and I mean whatever is necessary.
While not an easy or pleasant watch, Mama’s Boy is a work of art that challenges the viewer and forces you to think about things that would make most extremely uncomfortable. That fact alone makes it a worthy watch and something that will definitely be doing the rounds at the upcoming festivals of 2018 and beyond. Make an effort, if you can, to catch a viewing once it starts to grace theatre screens. You will not be disappointed.
Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid.
