What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedMa
Tate Taylor · Film · 2019
If you loved Ma, start with Them (Little Marvin, 2021) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Ma across media.
If Ma kept you hooked, you will love these stories that explore the dark, volatile intersection of social isolation and calculated personal revenge.
Books on the same thread
Misery
Stephen King · Book · 1987
Shares a thread with Ma: Obsession.
Much like the unsettling hospitality found in Ma, this story forces you to witness the suffocating power dynamics that emerge when a desperate outsider takes control of an unsuspecting victim.
Psycho
Robert Bloch · Book · 1959
Shares 3 threads with Ma: Obsession, Psychological Horror, Slasher.
If you were drawn to the erratic behavior in Ma, you will find a similar chilling study of obsession and isolation within the walls of the infamous Bates Motel.
Mad Mabel
Sally Hepworth · Book
Explores: buried secrets, repressed past, small-town judgment.
This narrative mirrors the small-town judgment found in Ma, focusing on an aging woman who must navigate the dangerous consequences of her hidden past and repressed secrets.
The Housemaid
Freida McFadden · Book · 2022
Explores: unreliable narrator, gaslighting, hidden agendas.
You will recognize the same domestic tension present in Ma as this story unravels the hidden agendas and gaslighting that occur when a stranger enters a private home.
Series on the same thread
Revenge
Mike Kelley · Series · 2011
Shares 2 threads with Ma: Manipulation, Revenge.
The calculated planning behind the vengeance in Ma finds a perfect match here, as a newcomer systematically dismantles the lives of those who once wronged her family.
Them
Little Marvin · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with Ma: Psychological Horror.
This anthology captures the same suburban horror and atmospheric dread seen in Ma, expanding the focus to how systemic trauma manifests within seemingly quiet, isolated domestic spaces.
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Explores: Single Motherhood, Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, Resilience.
While Ma explores the darker side of a desperate life, this series offers a grounded look at the resilience required to survive poverty and domestic abuse while rebuilding.
Bates Motel
Carlton Cuse · Series · 2013
Explores: Mother-Son Relationship, Toxic Relationship, Dark Secrets.
The toxic mother-son dynamic displayed here echoes the deeply troubled relationships found in Ma, offering a haunting look at how dark secrets fester in small towns.
Podcasts on the same thread
Baking A Murder
Podcast
Explores: Guilty Pleasures, Morbid Curiosity, Criminal Psychology.
If your morbid curiosity was piqued by the psychological games in Ma, this podcast provides an essential deep dive into the criminal psychology behind such chilling thrillers.
Class of 09
Podcast
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Technological Singularity, Career Trajectory.
Fans of the intense psychological stakes in Ma will appreciate this interactive experience that explores dark career trajectories and the consequences of one's choices in a cynical world.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Ma based on a book?
The movie Ma is not an adaptation of a book or any other source material. It is an original film directed by Tate Taylor that follows the story of Sue Ann, a loner in an Ohio town who befriends a group of local teenagers.
What is the premise of Ma?
In Ma, a lonely woman named Sue Ann encounters a teenager named Maggie who asks her to purchase alcohol for her friends. Sue Ann uses this request as an opportunity to insert herself into the lives of the unsuspecting teenagers, leading to unexpected consequences in their quiet Ohio town.
Who is the main character in Ma?
The main character in Ma is Sue Ann, a loner living in a quiet Ohio town. After a new teenager named Maggie asks her to buy booze, Sue Ann attempts to build friendships with Maggie and her group of friends, which serves as the central catalyst for the film.
Where does the story of Ma take place?
The story of Ma takes place in a quiet Ohio town. This is the setting where Sue Ann lives as a loner and eventually meets a group of local teenagers, including a new arrival named Maggie, who ask her to help them acquire alcohol.