Ma
Sue Ann is a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town, to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own.
Despite its tight budget of $5.0M, Ma became a box office phenomenon, earning $61.2M worldwide—a remarkable 1124% return. The film's unique voice connected with viewers, confirming that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
1 win & 8 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Ma (2019) demonstrates deliberately positioned plot construction, characteristic of Tate Taylor's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 39 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.5, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Sue Ann "Ma" Ellington
Maggie Thompson
Erica Thompson
Ben Hawkins
Andy Hawkins
Haley
Chaz
Darrell
Genie Ellington
Main Cast & Characters
Sue Ann "Ma" Ellington
Played by Octavia Spencer
A lonely veterinary assistant who befriends a group of teenagers, then reveals a dark, obsessive, and vengeful nature stemming from high school trauma.
Maggie Thompson
Played by Diana Silvers
A teenage girl new to town who becomes the primary target of Ma's manipulations and motherly obsession.
Erica Thompson
Played by Juliette Lewis
Maggie's mother who returns to her hometown and unknowingly reopens old wounds connected to Sue Ann's past.
Ben Hawkins
Played by Luke Evans
The town veterinarian and Sue Ann's boss who was involved in the traumatic incident that shaped her obsession.
Andy Hawkins
Played by Corey Fogelmanis
Maggie's love interest and Ben's son, creating a twisted parallel to Ma's high school trauma.
Haley
Played by McKaley Miller
One of Maggie's friends who parties at Ma's house and becomes a victim of her escalating violence.
Chaz
Played by Gianni Paolo
A member of Maggie's friend group who enjoys the freedom of Ma's basement parties.
Darrell
Played by Dante Brown
One of the teenagers in Maggie's group who frequents Ma's parties.
Genie Ellington
Played by Tanyell Waivers
Sue Ann's daughter who has been kept isolated and sheltered in Ma's house, unaware of the outside world.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Maggie arrives in her mother's hometown, starting at a new high school. She's the outsider trying to fit in with local teens.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Sue Ann (Ma) offers to buy alcohol for the teens and invites them to party in her basement. The teens are thrilled to have found a "cool" adult ally.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to The teens fully commit to partying at Ma's basement regularly. Ma becomes their go-to hangout spot, and they actively choose to keep returning despite minor red flags., moving from reaction to action.
At 50 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Ma's behavior becomes undeniably threatening. The teens witness her cruelty and realize she's dangerous. False defeat: they try to cut ties but Ma won't let them go. Stakes raise dramatically., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Ma kidnaps the teens and their parents, chaining them in her basement. The whiff of death: she begins torturing them, and it's clear she plans to kill them all. All hope seems lost., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 79 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Maggie and Genie team up. Genie turns against her mother, providing the key to escape. The realization: the daughters must stop the cycle of trauma their parents created., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Ma's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Ma against these established plot points, we can identify how Tate Taylor utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Ma within the horror genre.
Tate Taylor's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Tate Taylor films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Ma represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Tate Taylor filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Thinner, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Mary Reilly. For more Tate Taylor analyses, see The Help, Get on Up and The Girl on the Train.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Maggie arrives in her mother's hometown, starting at a new high school. She's the outsider trying to fit in with local teens.
Theme
A character mentions how high school cruelty never really leaves you - it stays with people forever. This foreshadows the film's exploration of trauma and revenge.
Worldbuilding
Maggie befriends local teens, they struggle to buy alcohol, establishing the social dynamics and the teens' desire for a safe party place.
Disruption
Sue Ann (Ma) offers to buy alcohol for the teens and invites them to party in her basement. The teens are thrilled to have found a "cool" adult ally.
Resistance
The teens debate whether to trust Ma. She seems fun and accommodating, creating a party haven. Initial concerns are dismissed as they enjoy their newfound freedom.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The teens fully commit to partying at Ma's basement regularly. Ma becomes their go-to hangout spot, and they actively choose to keep returning despite minor red flags.
Mirror World
Ma's daughter Genie is introduced, living isolated upstairs. She represents what happens when Ma's control goes unchecked - a mirror to the teens' potential fate.
Premise
The "fun" of partying at Ma's while disturbing behavior escalates: obsessive texts, surprise appearances, boundary violations. The promise of the premise - psychological horror masked as hospitality.
Midpoint
Ma's behavior becomes undeniably threatening. The teens witness her cruelty and realize she's dangerous. False defeat: they try to cut ties but Ma won't let them go. Stakes raise dramatically.
Opposition
Ma escalates her stalking and violence. Flashbacks reveal her traumatic high school humiliation. The teens' parents (her former bullies) get involved. Ma's revenge plan becomes clear and she closes in.
Collapse
Ma kidnaps the teens and their parents, chaining them in her basement. The whiff of death: she begins torturing them, and it's clear she plans to kill them all. All hope seems lost.
Crisis
The captives face their darkest moment, confronting the consequences of past cruelty. Maggie processes that her friends' parents caused this. Ma reveals her full trauma and plan.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Maggie and Genie team up. Genie turns against her mother, providing the key to escape. The realization: the daughters must stop the cycle of trauma their parents created.
Synthesis
Final confrontation with Ma. The teens fight back, the house catches fire. Ma's revenge is thwarted through the combined efforts of those she tried to control. Climactic violence and escape.
Transformation
Maggie and her mother embrace in safety. The closing image shows them leaving the town, having survived. The cycle is broken - unlike Ma, they choose to move forward, not backward.