MAMA

Horror movies love portraying orphans and adopted children as damaged goods. Guillermo del Toro, the mastermind behind PanÔÇÖs Labyrinth and The Orphanage, has transformed Andres MuschiettiÔÇÖs spooky Spanish short from 2008 into a feature-length nightmare.

A young couple open their home to their two nieces, Victoria and Lily. The sisters are slightly unusual; when their mother was murdered, they disappeared into the wilderness for five years, a place that seems to have expertly nurtured their freakiness. In addition to having forest-learnt quirks, Victoria and Lily carry around a ghoulish burden from the past that refuses to be left behind.

The trailer, though short, gives an indication as to the scale of the shocks Guillermo del Toro has conjured up. His trademark dark magic aesthetics and imaginary beings collide with the suspense of fantasy horror in what looks set to be a jumpy, shriek-inducing start to the year of film.