9 Lives of Mara

Indian director Balaji K. Kumars unique vision, 9 Lives of Mara, is in a genre all its own, best described as Fairytale Noir. Twelve-year-old Robin is in turmoil following the death of his mother. His father throws himself into work and so Robin must prematurely become the man of the house, taking care of his younger sister. As he struggles with his grief and this new role, Robins home is suddenly invaded by an amorous intruder. This darkly sexual and mysterious woman intent on becoming the childrens stepmother has a curious effect on Robin. Just the smell of her perfume is enough to turn the fragile boys stomach and turn his mind toward the darkest of imaginings After reading the ancient tome on the history of witch craft, The Malleus Maleficarium, Robin begins to notice his new stepmothers strange habits are in terrifying step with those of a witch. His fear for himself and his family is overwhelming as he becomes dangerously obsessed with ridding his home of the evil threatening it. Encouraging him all the way is his wise-cracking best friend Larry whos always on hand with a scary comic book or urban legend to further goad Robin. But there is more to Larry and to Maria than meets the eye. What ensues brings consequences no child can bear, let alone one hanging on the edge of insanity. The tale is told from the perspective of Robin as a man after years in a mental institute where he remains in a state of arrested development, still taunted by his stepmother. We must decide if Robins troubled mind has created a monster or if his soul is truly threatened by a creature so dark and terrible that she will stop at nothing for revenge. Using innovative visual techniques and creating haunting characters, Kumar keeps us guessing with this slick and haunting Oedipus story, 9 Lives of Mara, which speaks to our darkest fears of madness and malevolence. - IMDb