Tangled up in Fear: Excavating the Matrophobia in Women's Horror Cinema Umma | [Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences • 2025]

Author(s):

1. Zhishu Lin: Faculty of modern language and communication, University Putra Malaysia,Serdang,Malaysia

2. Siti Aishah binti Hj Mohammad Razi: Faculty of modern language and communication, University Putra Malaysia,Serdang,Malaysia

3. LingYann Wong: Faculty of modern language and communication, University Putra Malaysia,Serdang,Malaysia

Abstract:

In recent years, an increasing number of films have explored the intricate dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship, with female directors utilizing cinema to express women previously suppressed "rebellious" feelings. Despite its importance, "matrophobia" remains overlooked in feminist cultural studies. It is crucial to reintroduce and understand this concept within feminist discourse. The American supernatural horror film Umma (2022) centered on a three-generation mother-daughter dynamic, Amanda and her daughter lead a quiet life on a rural American farm, but the arrival of her estranged mother's bone ashes from Korea, coupled with her daughter's desire to go to college alone, heightens Amanda's deepseated fear of becoming like her mother. The daughter evolves from an initial apprehension regarding the resemblance to her mother to a brave acceptance, thereby visually portraying a complex manifestation of matrophobia. This research builds on Adrienne Rich's concept of matrophobia in of Woman Born to analyse this film. It examines how female directors portray matrophobia through audio-visual language and explores the communication of feminine culture through film. In this study, the researchers conducted a feminist critical discourse analysis of scenes centered on the main female characters in Umma (2022). The focus will be on the character of Amanda, concentrating on how she breaks through her ego and matrophobia through the denial of her own mother, which leads to a new transformation. This research aims to elucidate the portrayal of matrophobia and reevaluate the portrayal of mother-daughter dynamics within contemporary women's cinema.

Page(s): 7161-7172

DOI: 10.57239/PJLSS-2025-23.1.00557

Published: Journal: Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, Volume: 23, Issue: 1, Year: 2025

Keywords:

Womens cinema Matrophobia Feminist critical discourse analysis Horror film Feminist studies

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