‘Umma’ wanted us to interrogate the past. Did it rise to the occasion?

Ever wanted to meet and discuss movies the way book clubs discuss books?

You can, with the Strawberry Cinema Collective—a project by me and Caro of Sensual Terrors. Every third Wednesday of the month at 7pm EST we meet to discuss a different film.

All throughout 2026, we’re focusing on horror movies directed by women, for Strawberry Cinema Collective’s May pick, we watched Umma dir. Iris K. Shim. This film felt like the perfect pick for a month that is home to both Mother’s Day in the United States and Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Our discussion went on for even longer than it usually does, as we tackled the themes of immigrant identities, Korean culture, and motherhood.

Read until the end to find out what we’ll be watching for this month!!

I once watched Umma on a whim — the sight of Sandra Oh’s blacked-out eyes and ghastly face on the thumbnail piquing my curiosity enough to hit play. I was drawn in by the paranormal elements of Shim’s story about memory, abuse and childhood trauma. Up until the last moment, I was uncertain of how it would end. I appreciated this and the dark, expansive spaces that made up the film’s cinematography.

But revisiting the film for Strawberry Cinema Collective’s movie club thrust Umma into a new light. I really appreciated passing the mic to our guest, Chase [@howtocuddlecrows], because they were able to share their perspective as someone who has lived in both Korea and the United States. For them, Amanda’s cultural experiences and allegiances to a random white man, especially in a rural area, felt unrealistic. As someone who is not Korean, I would not have picked up on this potential plot hole.

When I first watched this film, I didn’t totally love it. Not to say that it’s a horrible film, there were definitely some aspects I liked about it, but the biggest thing was that it didn’t feel that scary. As a person who can’t help screaming while watching a horror film (even if I’m in a crowded theater—I’m sorry to anyone who’s ever had the misfortune of watching the same movie as me), watching a horror film that isn’t scary is kind of shocking.

Part of me wished the film had forfeited the horror aspect and focused solely on developing this grandmother-mother-daughter relationship. Honestly, that was the most compelling aspect of the film, and I felt like there was so much more I wanted to learn about them. We just didn’t get enough time to get to know these three characters. I often felt confused and shocked by each of their behaviors, partly because it never felt like it was established prior.

Outside of that, I did enjoy the film. Sandra Oh’s performance was incredible (as always!!), and there were some really beautifully shot scenes and gorgeous visuals.

However, talking with Chase opened my eyes to other inconsistencies within the piece that I hadn’t been previously aware of. So, it turned out to be a really insightful discussion!

Thank you to Chase for coming in as a guest speaker!!

Now, it’s great to hear a summary, but I think it’s even better to hear from our speakers themselves and to chat about these films in real time.

Next time, make sure to join us!! (Every third Wednesday at 7pm EST)

Despite this being a “film-bro” classic, this film is directed by a woman, and the original novel that the film is based on is written by Easton Ellis, a gay man. So, in order to celebrate pride month, we chose this as our feature!

Now, it’s great to hear a summary, but I think it’s even better to hear from our speakers themselves and to chat about these films in real time.

With our shift to the live stream format, we want to make sure to encourage everyone to participate, because what makes this club cool is that we get to hear from so many different people. We want to hear your questions, comments, opinions, or just your random thoughts.

If there’s a topic you want to make sure we focus on, you can let us know at any time before (or during) the discussion.

Next time, make sure to join us!!

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