I'll be frank, the title "Mafia Mamma" doesn't exactly encourage optimism/confidence especially from a critical thinker. But hey, there have been plenty of good movies with not so good titles ("Edge of Tomorrow," "Captain Fantastic," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes", etc.). I wish I could say "Mafia Mamma" fell into that category. Instead it's a not so great mix of absurdity and cringe that tries but can't squeeze nearly enough laughs out of its ridiculous concept.
There's a running joke in Mafia Mamma about main character Kristin Balbano (Toni Collette) never having seen the Godfather movies, but Kristin reacts so inexplicably.
“Mafia Mamma” follows an insecure American woman Kristin Balbano (Toni Collette) who unexpectedly inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire in Rome, Italy.