PLOT: A lonely and asthmatic 10-year-old is living in a clergy house with her minister father and neglectful mother. In need of a friend, a creepy little girl comes to visit her at night until it becomes evident that this nightling isn’t here to play.
LOWDOWN: Martyrs Lane (WATCH IT HERE) isn’t quite what I expected, yet are I found a lot to love in the elements that aren’t quite horror yet the depressing situation of this thing we call life. Which, I guess in all fairness, could be classified as a bit horrific? Either way, Martyrs Lane aims for a tale and experience closest to the likes of The Babadook, The Witch, or It Comes at Night. I fear this will be labeled under the dreaded “Elevated Horror” title, used by the weak and cowardly who wouldn’t know the horror genre if it became a sentient being and bit them in the ass. But before we dig into all of that, this is where I tell you to expect some mild spoilers since I can’t write a review while keeping every damn element close to the chest. Cool? Good, let’s roll.
Martyrs Lane is told through the perspective of young Leah (Kiera Thompson), whose family life doesn’t seem to make much sense to her. Leah’s teenage sister Bex (Hannah Rae) constantly puts her down and acts downright bitchy, like she’s the root of all of her pent-up angst; she’s not. While her mom Sarah (Denise Gough), is distant at best and a complete wreck at worst. Father Thomas (Steven Cree) does his best to keep the peace but is so busy at the Church that Leah is essentially on her own to grow, learn and explore. Things are kept purposefully vague, as Leah’s loneliness and utter abuse, or at least absent parenting, leads her to let a strange little girl into the house at night. This odd child is Rachel (Sienna Sayer) and shows up once everyone’s asleep to play games and keep her company. Yea, nothing suspicious going on here.
Sarah is an enigmatic character in her daughter’s eyes. She’s an emotional mess that can barely function and spends every waking moment clinging to a locket with a patch of hair closely guarded inside. Though the story keeps her motivations painstakingly vague, Gough rocks out as the disheveled mother who has all but given up. Her horrible attitude towards young Leah turned me against her a few times, but I can appreciate that that’s the point, and it takes a solid actress to pull off such a cold yet emotional role. But Martyrs Lane is held on the shoulders of a ten-year-old Kiera Thompson who owns every damn scene. There’s something about the British accent that just makes young actors seem far more mature than they physically are capable of being. Still, Thompson is perfect as the inquisitive yet tough little girl who plays games with a ghost whose intent is pretty iffy from the get-go.
What’s tough about Martyrs Lane is that the reasoning behind Sarah’s emotional rut, Bex acting out, and ghost girl Rachel’s purpose are so self-evident; I’m confused as to why it’s presented as a mystery. Rachel, played amazingly by Sienna Sayer, keeps coming back into Leah’s room increasingly more decayed. Her innocent games start turning into treasure hunts with the sole purpose of a sinister reveal, but within the first twenty minutes, you can easily guess where Martyrs Lane ends up. Is it poignant? Sure, but nothing new or unique, and just because you have a mysterious emotional core doesn’t guarantee that it’s deserving of a whole 90-minute runtime. If this wasn’t brimming with a talented cast, I might even say Martyrs Lane is a bit clunky and heavy-handed in its execution.
GORE: Not the point here, and we get very little. The bit of blood and gore we do get is in service of the themes of trauma.
BOTTOM LINE: Martyrs Lane is a tale of sorrow, grief, and a bit of loneliness tossed in for good measure. A flick that sits firmly in the drama department with a sprinkle of horror, this may not be everyone’s cup of tea per se, but I can always dig a dark and depressing tale. Martyrs Lane works when it should and delivers some of the best child performances I’ve seen in years. It falters with a see-through plot that should have never been a mystery and lays on a message so thick I found myself hoping for a last-minute twist. Does this go on too long for what can be guessed within the first twenty minutes? Yes, but, overall I enjoyed the journey and would recommend it to someone looking for a drama with some creepy moments throughout. Shudder is damn consistent and put another one on the board.
Martyrs Lane Comes To Shudder September 9th!