Marrowbone is the story of a young man and his three siblings who have to keep their mom's death a secret, so they can stay together until the oldest turns 21. They also live in a huge rural home that is isolated and tormented by an unseen and possibly malignant presence. They’ve run to America from the UK to hide from their father who has done some really nasty things.
This is a gothic horror written and directed by Sergio Sanchez. Sanchez also wrote The Orphanage...another eerie gothic horror.
Marrowbone is a slow burn of a film. It's not your traditional horror - there aren't jump scares or some slasher chasing down horny teenagers at sleepaway camp. The story takes its time to draw you in - to become engrossed with the characters and the narrative.
It stars George MacKay as Jack, the oldest Marrowbone sibling. Charlie Heaton, who is Jonathan Byers from Stranger Things, portrays Billy. Mia Goth, most recently from A Cure for Wellness, plays the sister Jane and Matthew Stagg plays the youngest Marrowbone, Sam.
We also have a performance from Anya Taylor-Joy, playing neighbor Allie. Even though Taylor-Joy gets part of the top billing, she plays a smaller role than the four siblings.
What I liked:
The story. It really takes its time to develop and draw you in, which creates a real creep factor. There were several parts of the film where I got physical chills from being creeped out!
The performances. The actors were really convincing in not only their sadness, but also their secrecy and caution of the outside world - for fear of being split up into different foster homes.
The setting and cinematography. The story takes place in 1969, but the only time you get the true sense of the year is when Jack goes into town and interacts with other people. When they're all at the manor by themselves, it looks as if they're living in the 1920s. The scenery is beautifully shot and it adds a level of disconnectedness and isolation, increasing the slow-growing unease the film creates.
What I didn't like:
Because the story was a slow-burn, it dragged in places, making the hour and 50 minutes seem longer than it was. I'm glad the story developed slowly because it drew me in, but I wish it had a faster pace in parts to keep me from feeling the time.
It’s a little predictable in spots, but for me it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story.
There's no sex or nudity, some language and a bit of violence. Like I said before, it's not a traditional horror, but there is a certain amount of creepiness and unease, so if you're not into that, you may want to skip this.
