WATCH: Octavia Spencer Unexpectedly Stars As A Psychopath In New Film ‘Ma’

Often praised for exceeding expectations in drama and comedy films, Octavia Spencer’s role as a psychopath in Universal Pictures’ upcoming horror film Ma serves as new territory for the Oscar-winning actress.

When a group of underage friends approach Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) to help them purchase alcohol at their local corner store, the lonely Sue Ann sees a chance of making a few younger friends of her own. “You guys want to party like rockstars?” she asks, as unsettling music plays in the trailer’s background. She offers the teens a “safe” place to drink and party, which eerily happens to be in the basement of her home.

There’s a few house rules to abide by as well: Never go upstairs, no swearing, and refer to her as “Ma.” As the partying becomes more frequent, Ma becomes more obsessed with the teens, and her true demented nature unfolds throughout the trailer. “This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” says Ma as she’s surrounded by teens who are either unconscious, or worse, dead.

While it’s surprising that Spencer–known for playing characters filled with humanity and grace–will star as the antagonist in a film, the trailer alone reveals that she will likely surpass expectations once again. Furthermore, it’s extremely rare for black women to play the roles of psychopaths, so we’re eagerly looking forward to watching this unique concept manifest on screen. 

Written by Scotty Landes and Tate Taylor and produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions (Get Out), the horror film stars Octavia Spencer, Juliette Lewis, Missi Pyle, Luke Evans, McKaley Miller, Corey Fogelmanis, Gianni Paolo and Dante Brown.

Ma hits theaters on May 31st.