The Secret of Marrowbone – Review

I have been looking forward to seeing this film since the first trailer dropped as it stars some of my favourite upcoming actors in Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton and Mia Goth.
Finally with it being in released in the UK, I have had the chance to see it and talk about it with you all!

‘The Secret of Marrowbone’ focuses on the titular Marrowbone family who appear to be constantly facing hard times, both in the past and present. Four siblings must deal with the death of their mother, whilst also keeping their bereavement a secret from the rest of the town they live until the eldest sibling is 21 and old enough to be the family’s legal guardian, preventing them from being separated. Amongst all of the tragedy and family focused drama, dark and supernatural events begin to take place within the Marrowbone household.

As I said above, I had high expectations when it came to members of the cast, and they definitely delivered! Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split) may not have been as central a character as she has been in her previous roles but it was brilliant and greatly performed none the less. Continuing her streak of portraying a wide range of emotions, from joy and happiness in the early scenes of the film, to being in feeling pure terror while still showing courage and bravery in the face of said terror. Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) provides a very different performance from what we are used to, this time being boldly brave and sometime arrogant all with the intention of keeping those closest to him safe. Heaton does a great job in this portrayal but at times does feel somewhat one dimensional, as he acts the same through out most of the film, but this feels more out of what the script called for than his performance.

Mia Goth has been on my radar for a while now with a stand out performance in ‘A Cure for Wellness’ she brings her haunted charm to ‘The Secret of Marrowbone’ with what I feel is her best performance to date! In ‘A Cure for Wellness’ what stood out to me was how well Goth was able to create a strong mood that suggest that something was just sort of… off. She does so well at depicting a sense of past trauma that is still leaving a lasting impression upon her character and this is even more prevalent in ‘The Secret of Marrowbone’. As well as this, Goth has also widened her range (or has always had it, and this was her chance to show it) as acts loving and warm, happy and joyful as well as intense and panicked. A truly stand out role. Finally, George MacKay (11.22.63) is an actor that I had seen very little of and as a result, had no expectations for – not negative expectations, but had no thoughts on what to expect. I have to say he did a great job in this film, it was really nice to see what he could bring to the table. There wasn’t too much from him that stood out to me like his previously mentioned cast mates, how ever that may just be a result of not knowing much about his skill and range prior to this performance.

Sergio G. Sánchez (The Orphanage) is the director and writer on this film and the consistency in vision is very clear to see. The vibe of ‘ The Secret of Marrowbone’ will be familiar to anyone who has seen ‘The Orphanage’ as, aside from this film’s happier moments, the sense of macabre and loss through out this film harkens back to that of the former. The direction on a whole is favourable but there isn’t too much that stands out as being truly great from that perspective. The writing on the other hand has a lot more going for it, particularly the supernatural element of the film leaves the audience wanting just a little bit more, rather than giving all away at once. As well as this, Sánchez’s writing boast an intensely thrilling third act. His work director of photography Xavi Giménez does allow the sombre tone of the film to be emphasised through a bleak colour-scape, mirroring mood of loss, desperation and emotional fatigue present through out the film.

But, is ‘The Secret of Marrowbone’ scary? It is deeply chilling and drenched in a feeling of constant unease and paranoia as our protagonists rarely feel as though they are in a situation in which they can let their guard down, whether it be hiding the loss of their mother, or the constant fear of the spectral entity the Marrowbone family are plagued by. The movie is not without it’s jumps and startling revelations either, with a few scenes that leave you on the edge of your seat! Couple that with some unsettling imagery and it’s fair to say that while ‘The Secret of Marrowbone’ might not be the most frightening film ever, it is an eerie and unsettling watch!

I really enjoyed ‘The Secret of Marrowbone’. Be warned, it is a slow burn horror film, so while that is something I greatly enjoy (when done well, such as in this case) I am aware it is not for everyone. The performances of Mia Goth and Anya Taylor-Joy were stand outs, with great performances all round for the most part, the slight inconsistencies in the direction and some of the one dimensional writing issues are easily over shadowed by what is overall an intense and creepy yet enjoyable watch!

I’m going to give ‘The Secret of Marrowbone’ 78%!

Have you seen ‘The Secret of Marrowbone’? If so what did you think about it? Let me know in the comments and lets talk about it! If you have read this whole review before ever looking in to anything about this movie then you can check out the trailer below!
Stay creepy and thanks for reading!