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Film: A Mother’s Embrace (Abraço de Mãe)
Year: 2024
Director: Cristian Ponce
Writer: Cristian Ponce, André Pereira and Gabriela Capello
Starring: Marjorie Estiano, Chandelly Braz and Javier Drolas
Review:
This was a film that I got the chance to see thanks to Alex from Simply Legendary Publicity who reached out to see if I was interested in the screener. Learning that this was coming to Screambox intrigued me since I’m subscribed to this service. I skimmed the press release and sounded like something that was in line with my interests. Also knowing that this was from Brazil, helps with my end of year list as a wide 2025 release film in genre.
Synopsis: during the massive 1996 Rio storm, firefighters try to evacuate a collapsing nursing home, but the mysterious residents have other sinister plans.
Set in Rio de Janeiro, 1973, Cristina (Chandelly Braz) and her daughter, Ana (Mel Nunes), experience a series of unsettling events. After Ana is given tainted milk, they visit a carnival's 'Boneca Anatômica' attraction, where Ana faints upon seeing a fetus. She awakens to their apartment engulfed in flames, her mother unresponsive. This is a traumatic experience for a young child.
Rio, prone to heavy rains and floods, anticipates a major storm in 1996. This seems to happen periodically. Ana is now an adult and a firefighter who is on leave after a work incident. She plans to return to the field. On her way to a meeting with her superior, she encounters former team member Mourão (Rafael Canedo), now a driver, and Roque (Reynaldo Machado), who was just in a meeting with their boss. She inquires if he revealed any information to which he declines.
The meeting is more tense with Dias (Val Perré). He asks her to tell him what happened that day. We see images of flashbacks of an apartment on fire. She does admit to going into shock. Dias asks if her mother’s death played a role. Roque revealed this information to him. She denies it, stating they were estranged for some time. He seems reluctant, but she is returned to field work and part of Dias’ team, along with Roque and Mourão.
Responding to a car-into-warehouse crash with a live powerline, Ana secures the car inside, meeting an odd, painted-face person. As she is going to leave, she falls and hurts her leg. A new call directs them to an unsafe nursing home, Ana noting that is in route to the station, so they agree to assist.
They’re then denied entry by the owner Drika (Angela Rabello) denies entry. Ulisses (Javier Drolas) eventually lets them in, but they find a decaying building despite Drika and Ulisses's assurances of safety. Odd residents and the rain worsen the atmosphere. Ana discovers Lia (Maria Volpe), Ulisses's daughter, who claims her father is different. Ana also sees someone resembling her mother. The hidden truth will change their lives forever as they fight to survive.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that I love this set up. We set up the stage with Ana as a child. There are few things here. First, we see there is something wrong with the mother. The easy way of seeing this is mental illness. Cristina drugged her daughter and it seems to kill her. It feels like murder/suicide. There could be more to it where she’s ‘protecting’ her. We also have this haunting image of Ana seeing the fetus and how this imagery plays back later.
Let’s then discuss the atmosphere. I love the idea that these heavy rains are coming, trapping and isolating our team in this old rundown house. This place feels a bit like Baskin to me. There are similar concepts as well with this cult that is here and a ritual is being done. We also get a bit of creature feature when we see this tentacle when Roque is walking around outside of the building as the rain comes. He is assessing the structure. Now the reveal is something that I’m going to avoid, it is a variation on a classic story that we’ve seen.
Where I then want to go is with the title. A Mother’s Embrace first happens in the beginning as Cristina is holding her daughter when she wakes up and sees the apartment is burning. The two are estranged from that and Ana keeps seeing her mother. It is subtly done in that it might be someone else and she is just hallucinating. When we’re in the house with the tensions rising, Ana is trying to save Lia. This feels like she is trying to do what in her eyes her mother failed to as a redemption arc. I do appreciate that and Estiano was good as our lead.
I do want to then shift over to discuss filmmaking. The film's strength lies in its claustrophobic atmosphere, effectively contained by the flooded surroundings. Cinematography and practical effects highlight the building's disrepair, contrasting with characters' claims. Sound design and music build tension. However, despite the 90-minute runtime, the pacing felt off, failing to maintain full attention.
All that is left then are the acting performances. Estiano shines as the lead, portraying a redemptive journey to succeed where her mother, Braz (who haunts Ana), failed. Volpe is well-suited for the role of Lia. Drolas and Rabello effectively convey a creepy atmosphere as the isolated location's overseers. Machado, Perré, and Canedo are strong as Ana's team, and the odd residents also serve their purpose. Something I’ll also say is that I like that certain characters get a baseline before they change, making things later make more sense.
In conclusion, this creates a compelling, claustrophobic horror experience, effectively building tension through its atmospheric setting and unsettling premise. While the pacing occasionally falters, the strong performances, particularly from Estiano, and the clever integration of themes like redemption and a haunting past elevate the film. It's a solid genre entry from Brazil that provides a unique take on a classic horror trope, making it a worthwhile watch for fans of the macabre.
My Rating: 7 out of 10