| Martyrs Lane | |
|---|---|
_Poster.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Ruth Platt |
| Written by | Ruth Platt |
| Produced by | Christine Alderson Katie Hodgkin |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Márk Györi |
| Edited by | Chris Barwel |
| Music by | Anne Müller |
| Production companies | British Film Institute Ipso Facto Productions Sharp House |
| Distributed by | Shudder (United States) LevelK (International) |
| Release dates |
|
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Martyrs Lane is a 2021 British gothic horror film written and directed by Ruth Platt, produced by Christine Alderson and Katie Hodgkin and starring Denise Gough, Steven Cree, Anastasia Hille, Hannah Rae and Kiera Thompson.
Plot
A 10 year-old girl named Leah (Kiera Thompson) lives in a large vicarage in England and every night she's visited by a mysterious guest who offers her knowledge.
Cast
- Denise Gough as Sarah
- Steven Cree as Thomas
- Anastasia Hille as Lillian
- Hannah Rae as Bex
- Kiera Thompson as Leah
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 91%, based on 32 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Well-acted by its young leads, Martyrs Lane tells a slow-burning ghost story that gathers real emotional weight". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Nick Allen writing for the website RogerEbert.com gave the film 31/2 out of 4 starts, stating: "'Martyrs Lane' is ruled by grief, often dulled and overdrawn by it, but its young surrogates give us the unique opportunity to see its themes presented without compromise". Phil Hoad from the newspaper The Guardian gave "Martyrs Lane" three out of five starts, saying: "Ruth Platt’s third film is at first almost too subtle for its own good. As Leah’s new friend directs her to small objects around the house and grounds, including minuscule letter-bearing dice, Platt’s storytelling is high-risk, almost obscure, leaving viewers much to infer". Wendy Ide from the British film magazine Screen International called it "a picture which would make a credible addition to midnight-movie strands, but which has an appeal which should extend beyond horror audiences. Tonally, with its emphasis on nurture and parent-child relations, there’s a kinship with films like Under the Shadow".
References
- Eddy, Cheryl. "Martyrs Lane Is a Dark Fairy Tale Exploring the Horrors of Grief". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- "Martyrs Lane". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- "Martyrs Lane". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- Allen, Nick. "Martyrs Lane". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- Hoad, Phil. "Martyrs Lane review – gothic supernatural mystery with a warm beating heart". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- Ide, Wendy. "Reviews 'Martyrs Lane': Fantasia Review". Screen International. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
