Synopsis: Expecting their first child, a Mexican-American couple move to a migrant farming community in 1970s California where strange symptoms and terrifying visions threaten their new family.

Calamity Brains:

Madres is a horror drama following a young Mexican-American couple in the last months of their pregnancy. As plots go, it’s fairly thin; as horror goes, the effects and jump scares leave a lot to be desired. The only actual “horror” parts of the movie come from the interpersonal relationships and the closing notes from the director. Madres includes a few interesting moments, but the heavy-handed social commentary and banal story means there’s not a lot of depth for the audience to hold on to.

Diana (Ariana Guerra) and Beto (Tenoch Huerta) come from two different worlds; Diana is second generation Mexican-American, and Beto is a recent immigrant. I found watching them navigate the bitterness of their divergent experiences and the intricacies of socializing in the new town to be the most compelling parts of the movie. The rest of the flick is a bit muddled – there’s sort of a ghost story, sort of a curse, and a few possible contenders for human-type evil, but none of it is very engaging. When the truth of the town mystery is revealed, it’s a snooze.

Madres wasn’t terrible, but there just wasn’t enough to it. Everything about it was… fine. The fact that the most upsetting part of the movie came in the form of rolling text before the end credits says it all. You’re not missing much to skip this one, but at least you won’t regret watching it.

Calamity Brains’ Rating: C+