Director Robert Budreau gives us the 2024 Horror/Thriller Queen of Bones a film full of an atmosphere of sheer dread. The film, written by Michael Burgner, looks at “tales of the Great Depression” that delve deeply into the macabre and supernatural. Low key it may be, but the moodiness of the subject matter makes for interesting thoughts after viewing.
Queen of Bones The Story
It is 1931 and twins Sam and Lily try to discover the secret behind their mother’s death. Their father Malcom refuses to speak about the matter and their soon to be stepmother; Ida May, means for Lily to be sent off to a convent. The two youngsters must hurry to find the truth before it is too late.
The Cast
Jacob Tremblay is Sam.
Julia Butters is Lily.
Martin Freeman is Malcolm.
Taylor Schilling is Ida May.
Christopher Heyerdahl is Fredrik P Jensen.
Kyle Breitkopf is Arvin.
Let’s Talk Queen of Bones
The film relies heavily upon a moody atmosphere set against the backdrop of the Depression. Malcolm is a widower whose wife, he says, died in childbirth. We later learn that this is a lie, a convenient one at that. Malcolm continually recites verses dealing with “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” He also mentions quite a number of times that Lily and Sam’s mother had “dark in her.” This is as close as he comes to calling his dead wife a witch, but clearly, this is more than mere allusion.
Later in Queen of Bones, the witch, spelt “midwife” tells Lily that her father did not want a doctor to deliver the twins. Malcolm was apparently afraid the good town would discover his pregnant wife’s “darkness.” Time moves on, however, and the violin maker now has his sights set on Ida May, a woman with a different sort of darkness on offer.
Low Key Horror
As a horror film, Queen of Bones is very low key. There are no real scares here. Instead we are filled with a sense of dread from the very first scene. Lily plays the violin with a mastery that is impressive. Mr Jensen offers her a place at the music conservatorium he runs. Malcolm is more than dismissive of said offer. He tells Jensen that Lily will be sent to a convent very soon. Lily misses this bit of information as Sam interrupts her eavesdropping.
A book is found with spells that Lily seems adept at handling. Sam makes a deal with two shine runners. They will take the twins to meet a witch in return for Sam running some moonshine.
The entire film feels like one long exercise in minimizing the threat to the twins. We feel from the very first frame that this will not end well for anyone in the Brass family. Malcolm is incredibly dour, at least he is until Ida May tickles his fancy.
Queen of Bones Sort of Works
The film works, after a fashion. It feels almost like an old time morality tale. There are even chapter cards, like the sort old films used before “talkies” became popular.
In terms of cast? The film has an excellent showcase. Julia Butters, certainly taller than in her stint in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, captivates whenever she is in front of the camera. Tremblay, as Sam, delivers impeccably.
Martin and Schilling bounce well off of each other and their interaction with the twins is telling. Martin, as Malcolm, can barely disguise his unease at having Lily around. Schilling as Ida May tries to steam roll the younger girl into doing her will.
The Verdict
Queen of Bones is not a popcorn chucking horror offering. It is not scary so much as an exercise in dread. *I know, the word is sprinkled throughout this review, but it describes the movie perfectly.* This is a solid 3.5 star effort. While the low key approach works to a degree, it is too subtle to make up for the real lack of scariness. It is streaming on Prime right now. Check it out, if for no other reason than to see Butters and co acting their little cotton socks off.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.