10 High Budget Horror Movies With Terrible CGI
6. Mama
Big things were expected of Andy Muschietti's Mama before it was released in 2013. Based on a short film directed by the Argentine director, the movie had a respectable budget of $15 million and big stars on board from the get go; Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who had gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of Jaime Lannister on HBO global phenomenon Game of Thrones.
Sadly, while the performances of the two unquestionably talented leads were praised, Mama itself was only a moderate success amongst audiences, with fans and critics divided over the convoluted, yet simultaneously clichéd, story and characters. Another aspect of Muschietti's flick that was notably derided was the CGI featured within the supernatural horror.
The titular Mama - for some bizarre, unexplained reason - spends a large portion of her on-screen time twisting and flailing around like some kind of demented inflatable tube man throwing a tantrum, drawing more bemused sniggers than shocked intakes of breath. The facial depiction of Mama herself is particularly dreadful, and the apparition resembles some sort of animated Disney villain as opposed to the supernatural specter that Muschietti and Co. try so hard to bring to life.
It's a legitimate shame, as not withstanding the appalling CGI, Mama's premise and some of the scare mechanics utilized to build suspense within the film are genuinely exceptional. It's a crying shame that the film's woeful visuals make said suspense deflate in a manner reminiscent of somebody puncturing a whoopee cushion.