[Review] Marrowbone

The gravely titled Marrowbone is a horror film with a promising premise but disappointing results -- mainly because it's never as much of a horror film as you'd want it to be.

The story revolves around a young man named Jack (George MacKay) and his four siblings (one of which is played by Charlie Heaton from "Stranger Things") who make a pact to stick together in a rustic mansion out in the country while keeping their beloved yet disturbed mother's death a secret. As you can probably guess, the family finds themselves haunted by a sinister presence (and a raccoon), and the townspeople begin to question what exactly is going on in their manor.

One thing that's definitely apparent is the film's striking cinematography -- it exquisitely captures the woodsy settings, picturesque beaches, and the dry and dusty creepiness of the home. Unfortunately, the disjointed narrative and oblong runtime should have been shaved way down. The story is much more interesting when its exploring the madness of this family and diving into the supernatural evil in their home -- eerie and jumpy suspense sequences and all -- rather than when it deals with all the outside business. Kyle Soller plays a local lawyer who checks into the house for legal reasons, and not only is this character incredibly grating, but he also kills any scary momentum. Great horror frequenter Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split, Thoroughbreds) plays Jack's love interest, but this subplot is so underdeveloped and unnecessary that she ends up going under-utilized. 

Marrowbone's plot unleashes a late-game twist, but it's not enough to save the film as it devolves into shattering nonsense.

( 5.5/10 )

Be sure to Like Fade to Zach on Facebook!

And Follow me on Twitter: @Fade_to_Zach