Mama (2011): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2011, Mama is a drama film directed by Choi Equan, running about 111 minutes.

What it’s about. The first story is about a mother who devotes her life to taking care of her son, who suffers from a chronic disease. When the son, who can barely walk, realizes his mother has also fallen ill, he decides to care for her as she has done for him. The second story depicts the troubled relationship between a mother and daughter. The mother, the top soprano in the nation, is far from a typical devoted Korean mother and always wants to be pampered. Her daughter, a high school dropout whose experience has been the opposite of her mother’s, works as her manager. The two are always fighting and struggle to find a way to navigate their relationship. The third episode centers upon a gangster. When he hears that his mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer, he strives to fulfill his mother’s wish to reunite with her first love before she dies.

Who’s in it. Mama stars Uhm Jung-hwa as Dong-sook, Yoo Hae-jin as Seung Chul, Jeon Soo-kyung as Primadonna mom Hee-kyung and Ryu Hyun-kyung as Hee-kyung's eternal back dancer, Eun-sung, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Mama has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Mama page.

If you liked it. Fans of Mama tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.