Movies
[Review] ‘Marrowbone’ Is An Overstuffed Ghost Story/Period Romance/Mystery Film
Screenwriter Sergio G. Sánchez has written some incredible films, but he has never been given a shot at directing. Repeatedly turned down by several production companies to direct The Orphanage, he had to see his screenplay be masterfully directed by J.A. Bayona, who also directed his other screenplay (The Impossible). With Marrowbone, Saánchez finally has the chance to turn his own screenplay into a film, but unfortunately, the result is a mixed bag.
In 1969, the Marrowbone family, comprised of mother Rose (Nicola Harrison) and children Jack (George Mackay), Billy (Charlie Heaton, Stranger Things), Jane (Mia Goth, A Cure for Wellness) and Sam (Matthew Stagg), moves to America to escape their villainous patriarch. Shortly after settling in, Rose becomes ill and, before she dies, makes Jack promise to not tell anyone about her death until he is 21 and legally able to care for his siblings. One day, a bullet flies through one of the windows, scaring the children. The film then flashes forward six months and sees the children living in the now-dilapidated house that now houses a mysterious ghost. Further complicating matters is curious lawyer Tom (Kyle Sollner), who is trying to complete the Marrowbones’ legal matters while also competing for Allie’s (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch, Split) affections with Jack. Oh, and there’s also a mystery about the Marrowbone patriarch’s murderous past and hidden blood money.
If it sounds like there’s a lot going on in Marrowbone, it’s because there is. Marrowbone just has too much going on to make it a compelling film. The film’s excruciatingly long 110 minutes are filled to the brim with subplot after subplot, which prevents the buildup of any actual tension. In attempting to be a period drama, a romance, a ghost story and a mystery, Marrowbone tries to have its cake and eat it too. None of the films it tries to be is wholly successful because none of them are given enough attention. By the time the twists start piling up in the third act, the viewer’s reaction will be one of relief rather than satisfaction. That’s not something you want for your film. Speaking of those twists, Sánchez dips into the same well he did with The Orphanage as well as films like (this is spoiler-y, so view/highlight at your own risk) The Boy and Housebound.
The performances are all solid, however, with Mackay carrying the film for the most part. Mia Goth, who showed promise in last year’s A Cure for Wellness, is equally strong in her scenes. Taylor-Joy, as talented as she is, could have been completely excised from the film and it wouldn’t make much of a difference. This is a shame considering she’s one of the most talented members of the cast, but she is given the thankless role of the concerned love interest. Her scenes with Mackay are so few that you’re never able to fully buy into their relationship, which severely diminishes the dramatic effect of the film’s climax.
What the film does have going for it is Sánchez’s directing. For a first time director, the man shows remarkable confidence behind the camera. The man clearly has an affinity for Gothic cinema, and his Spanish influences are apparent in many of the settings. He also proves adept at crafting scares, though those scenes are few and far between. The Marrowbone house is a creepy-looking thing, and the film gives off a notable sense of claustrophobia once the camera journeys into its nooks and crannies.
If you’re looking for a new twist on a ghost story, you could do a lot worse than Marrowbone, but you could also do a lot better. It’s a shame that Sánchez didn’t devote enough time to his screenplay as he did to his directing, as the film is rather beautiful and well-made. He just tries to cram far too much into one film. Ultimately, Marrowbone is an ambitious failure, and that alone almost makes it worth a watch.
Marrowbone is currently available on iTunes, Amazon Instant and other VOD services.
This week brings the next installment in the M3GAN Universe, plus a critically acclaimed queer horror movie, two new shark attack movies, and even a Lifetime Original clown thriller.
Here are the new horror movies that released July 27 – August 2, 2026!
Fresh out of theaters, queer supernatural horror film Leviticus is now available on Digital from NEON. Writer-director Adrian Chiarella makes his feature debut with Leviticus.
Joe Bird (Talk to Me) and Stacy Clausen star as star-crossed teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.
Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak) co-stars alongside Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie (The Nightingale), and Davida McKenzie (Silent Night).
“Leviticus is a strong debut with an incisive voice at the helm,” Meagan Navarro wrote in her review out of Sundance. “We care deeply about Naim and Ryan’s survival, making Leviticus a tense, atmospheric, and claustrophobic vision of young love in a hateful world.”
Just in time for the annual Shark Week festivities, brand new shark attack horror movie The Devil’s Mouth debuted globally on Amazon Prime Video this past Wednesday.
Kathryn Newton (Abigail, Lisa Frankenstein, Ready or Not 2), Lana Condor (Pretty Lethal), Nico Hiraga, Gavin Casalegno, Tommi Rose, and Tayme Thapthimthong star.
In the film, “Five friends set out on one last adventure along Thailand’s stunning coast, eager for a final thrill before life in the real world begins. They sign up for a guided swim through a remote cave system known as The Devil’s Mouth, a natural wonder that’s as breathtaking as it is unforgiving. Deep inside the labyrinth of narrow waterways, their journey takes a terrifying turn when they discover that a freak storm the week before flooded the caves with sea life.
“The creatures died in the fresh water, but something survived… and it’s hunting them now— fast, silent, and deadly. Every corridor they round is overflowing with anxiety, and every wrong turn becomes a deadly encounter. As panic spreads and their sense of direction slips away, the group begins to fracture.
“Trust erodes, fear takes over, and survival becomes a savage game. In the suffocating darkness, every choice could be their last as they learn that to make it out alive, sacrifices must be made.”
Jeff Wadlow (Truth or Dare, Imaginary) directs the shark attack movie from a script he revised from Aja Gabel (“Sunny”) and Myung Joh Wesner (“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”).
And speaking of new shark attack movies, Aura Entertainment brought director Jesse V. Johnson’s Above & Below to select theaters beginning Wednesday. Check local listings.
30 feet below. 10 minutes of oxygen. 1 apex predator.
In shark attack horror movie Above & Below, “Friends embark on a dream vacation of parties and diving, but their trip takes a terrifying turn when criminals attack them at sea.”
This one looks like every other shark movie that’s been released in the last several years, but it’s armed with something that puts it a fin above the competition. Oscar nominated actor Antonio Banderas stars in Above & Below, with the cast also including Christina Ochoa, Laura Marano, Timothy V. Murphy, Louis Mandylor, Jess Liaudin, Ryan Bertroche, Ramiro Alonso, Diego Llinás, Rodrigo Poisón, Mario Tardón, and Donncha Tynan.
Anthony Steven Giordano wrote the screenplay.
Pregnancy nightmare Son of Sara aims to be the next generation’s take on the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, and it’s now available on Digital at home from Saban Films.
In Son of Sara, “A pregnant woman’s cravings turn sinister as her estranged boyfriend’s return coincides with a terrifying secret about the life growing inside her.”
The film stars Chloe Van Landschoot, Tymika Tafari, Garret Hnatiuk and Jane Moffat.
Canadian filmmaker Houston Bone directed Son of Sara.
There’s something seriously wrong with the newborn in dark fable Nightborn, the new horror movie from Hatching filmmaker Hanna Bergholm. It’s now streaming on Shudder.
In Nightborn, “With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga and her British husband Jon move to the isolated house where she spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish forest. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son. As their marriage starts to crack, Jon struggles to support his wife, but only Saga suspects the terrible truth about her newborn.”
Seidi Haarla (Compartment No. 6) and Rupert Grint (Knock at the Cabin, “Servant”) star in the Shudder horror film that’s been described as “a visceral, gripping and terrifying dark fable about motherhood and unconditional maternal love.” The movie’s cast also includes Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey and John Thomson.
Nightborn is inspired by Nordic folklore.
“Hanna Bergholm’s audacious sophomore follow up to Hatching delivers tension and shocking moments surrounding parenthood and self discovery — with a touch of humor,” said Shudder’s Emily Gotto. “We are thrilled to share Nightborn with audiences.”
Every so often, Lifetime premieres an original thriller that grabs hold of our attention and forces us to tune in. And they’ve got another one headed our way this weekend: Killer Clown.
Inspired by real stories, Killer Clown is a psychological thriller that explores trauma, memory, and gaslighting through the lens of a woman confronting the truth about her mother’s murder.
Premiering Saturday, August 1 at 8pm ET on Lifetime, Killer Clown stars Sara Paxton (The Innkeepers, The Last House on the Left, Weapons)! Watch the official trailer below.
Here’s the full plot synopsis: “Decades after witnessing her mother’s brutal murder at the hands of the Killer Clown, Elizabeth Helmer (Sara Paxton) remains haunted by the crime that shattered her childhood. When she begins investigating the long-unsolved cold case, Elizabeth becomes the target of a terrifying copycat stalker, forcing her to confront painful memories she has spent a lifetime trying to escape.
“As she searches for answers alongside her father Reed (David Cubitt) and husband Dan (Hamza Haq), Elizabeth uncovers a tangled web of family betrayal and long-buried secrets.
“As she closes in on the truth, Elizabeth must separate fact from manipulation and fight to survive before history repeats itself.”
Following Saturday night’s premiere, Killer Clown streams next day on the Lifetime app.
Killer Clown is directed by Annie Bradley and written by Katie Boland.
After multiple delays, Blumhouse Atomic Monster finally launches M3GAN Universe spinoff movie SOULM8TE directly onto Digital platforms this Saturday, August 1.
Lily Sullivan (Evil Dead Rise, Monolith) stars alongside Claudia Doumit (“The Boys”). The spinoff is described as a ’90s-style erotic thriller with a “new technological twist.”
David Rysdahl also stars in SOULM8TE.
The film follows a man (Rysdahl) who acquires an Artificially Intelligent android (Sullivan) to help him cope with the recent loss of his wife. In an attempt to create a truly sentient partner, the man inadvertently turns a harmless lovebot into a deadly soulmate.
Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother) directs. The filmmaker rewrote an original draft from Rafael Jordan (Salvage Marines), based on a story by James Wan, Ingrid Bisu and Jordan.
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