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Now that the division, ‘Stranger Things’ finale riddled with errors has come and gone, destitute fans are looking for ways to cope. While nothing can ever replace one of the biggest streaming shows in the world, perhaps a 2017 horror starring Anya-Taylor Joy and Charlie Heaton, who played Jonathan Byers in the Netflix series, could help?
“Marrowbone” is a psychological horror written and directed by Sergio G. Sánchez and produced by JA Bayona of “The Orphanage” and “The Snow Society” fame. It didn’t make much of a splash when it was released in 2017, mainly because it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival before its official release in Spain in October. The film was released in the UK the following year before hitting digital platforms in late 2018, but was never released theatrically in the US and was all but forgotten shortly after its arrival.
The critics didn’t do much to help it either, with “Marrowbone” getting decidedly average reviews. But there just might be something here, especially for those looking to soothe their post-“Stranger Things” pain with anything that could be considered vaguely adjacent to the Netflix series. If the false theory of the end known as “Conformity Gate” just doesn’t do it for you, “Marrowbone” is worth seeing not only because it’s interesting to see Heaton in a project that arrived a year after “Stranger Things” debuted, but also because the film has some strengths beyond being a balm for a world without Eleven, including a pre-“X” Goth Mia. As of this writing, the film is streaming on Prime Video.
Marrowbone is not without its spooky charm
“Marrowbone” is set in 1968 and stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Allie, a girl living in rural Maine who befriends a group of four siblings who have just moved to the area. The Marrowbone siblings consist of Jack (George MacKay), Jane (Mia Goth), Billy (Charlie Heaton), and youngest Sam (Matthew Stagg), and they left their native England at the urging of their mother, Rose Fairbairn (Nicola Harrison). Now living in Rose’s childhood home, known as the Marrowbone Residence, the group seems to be getting along well in their new lives. But things quickly take a turn for the worse after Rose’s health deteriorates and she dies.
In order for Jack to become the legal guardian of his siblings, the Marrowbone clan must hide the fact that Rose has died until they can make the necessary legal arrangements. It’s not the easiest thing in itself, but the arrival of a sinister presence in the house only makes things worse. As things progress, horrible secrets about the siblings’ parents emerge.
At the time of writing, “Marrowbone” has a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoeswith Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent praising what he called a “lyrical, cold affair” while lamenting the fact that “atmosphere is always in the foreground at the expense of plot”. John DeFore The Hollywood Reporter called the film “scary enough to please most genre fans” and even felt that without the supernatural elements “you’d still have a drama worth watching”. If you want to take his advice, “Marrowbone” is available on Prime Video at no extra cost to subscribers and can also be seen on Tubi, which, with its lack of fees and surprisingly extensive catalog, is easily one of the the best streaming services.
