Marrowbone (2017)
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After their mother dies, four siblings move to a remote estate in Maine where they are haunted by a sinister presence.
The story
In 1968, Rose Fairbairn moves her four children from England to her ancestral home in rural Maine. Following her death, the siblings—Jack, Jane, Billy, and Sam—remain in the house, attempting to maintain a facade of normalcy while dealing with a mysterious presence in the attic. Jack, the eldest, takes on the responsibility of caring for his siblings and keeping their mother's death a secret. As they navigate their isolation, they are confronted by a local man and a growing sense of dread, while Jack attempts to navigate the complexities of their new life in the remote Maine countryside.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following their mother's death, the Marrowbone siblings live in a Maine estate, covering mirrors to hide from a 'ghost' in the attic. Jack interacts with a local girl, Allie, and a lawyer, Tom Porter. To secure their future, the siblings forge their mother's signature on estate papers. It is eventually revealed that their father, Simon, was a serial killer who was bricked into the attic. Jack, descending into madness, develops multiple personalities to cope with the fact that he actually killed his siblings to protect them from their father. After a series of confrontations involving Tom and Allie, Jack eventually kills the real Simon. The film ends with Allie caring for Jack in a psychiatric hospital, allowing him to believe his siblings are still alive.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- Spain
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sergio G. Sánchez
- Writers
- Sergio G. Sánchez · writer
- Cast and characters
- George MacKay · Jack; Anya Taylor-Joy · Jane; Charlie Heaton · Billy; Mia Goth · Sam; Matthew Stagg · unknown
- Genres
- psychological horror; mystery; drama
- Themes
- dissociative identity disorder; filicide; sibling bonds
- Tone and mood
- psychological; horror; mystery
- Setting
- Rural Maine, 1968
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; haunted house; mystery
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the setting and cast but criticizing the character development and lack of scares.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 49% · review count: 75; Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 5
- Production trivia
- A South Korean remake titled The Secret House was in production.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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