Queen of Bones Review: A Gothic Thriller Mired in the Familiar

Queen of Bones brings together a compelling cast and an atmosphere-rich setting, immersing us in rural Oregon in 1931. Directed by Robert Budreau, known for music-centric biopics, this indie supernatural thriller shows initial promise. As we meet twin siblings Lily and Samuel, chafing under their stern widowed father’s rule, there’s a gothic tension in the air. When the discovery of their late mother’s spellbook unveils possible occult secrets, we brace for forbidden knowledge and clashing forces.

Yet despite standout lead Julia Butters and a transportive sense of time and place, Queen of Bones never fully delivers on its intriguing core premise. Rather than bold, fresh takes on the rebellious coming-of-age or religious hypocrisy themes, we get familiar character types and plot points that feel underexplored. Instead of ever-building tension, there’s uneven pacing and atmosphere that sputters out, lacking the depth or originality to match classic films of this genre.

While worth a viewing for the visuals and cast, especially genre fans, it’s ultimately an underwhelming affair – a collection of missed opportunities wrapped in sumptuous period trappings. If only the narrative had flesh on bones as strong as the production design.

A Web of Family Secrets and Simmering Rebellion

We meet adolescent twins Lily and Samuel eking out an isolated existence in rural 1931 Oregon under the domineering rule of their widowed father, Malcolm. Still grieving their mother who died in childbirth, the teens face Malcolm’s stern decrees and religious zealotry with building resentment. While Samuel dreams openly of escape, quiet Lily finds her own small rebellions in secret violin playing.

The tinderbox flames when Malcolm announces his intention to send devoted Lily off to a convent, refusing her pleas to attend a musical conservatory instead. Sensing their time together running out, the twins grow desperate to uncover long-buried truths about their family. Hope glimmers when a trunk belonging to their late mother arrives, full of tantalizing clues about her hidden past.

Defying their father’s wrath, Lily and Samuel discover she dabbled in occult magics – could a handwritten spellbook suggest something sinister behind her fate? Determined to claim her own power and path, Lily cautiously taps into supernatural gifts she’s inherited from her mother. But Malcolm and even Ida May, a local woman angling to become the next Mrs. Brass, seem intent on silencing Lily’s blossoming voice and autonomy at any cost.

As pagan-flavored nightmares bleed into reality, Samuel stands steadfast by his sister’s side. Locked on a collision course with oppressive forces that demand obedience, the twins must stick together to unravel chilling family secrets that have long haunted their secluded forest enclave. Will a final revelation about their mother’s demise set Lily’s newfound abilities against their father’s fanaticism for a shattering showdown?

Standout Period Visuals and Performances

While Queen of Bones may falter in some areas, it delivers admirably when it comes to lush period atmosphere and committed performances. Through standout production design and cinematography with a near-square aspect ratio, director Robert Budreau and team transport us convincingly back to the isolation of 1930s rural Oregon. Muted color palettes, small town clothing textures, the musical instruments of a violin maker’s workshop – every tactile detail pops with vintage authenticity.

In front of the camera, emerging talent Julia Butters captivates as Lily, conveying both a devout daughter’s repression and a young woman’s dawning defiance with equal conviction. Her rapport with Jacob Tremblay as twin brother Samuel fuels the family drama, while Martin Freeman brings a tempestuous complexity to their authoritarian father. Rounding out the cast, Patricia Phillips makes the most of one sharp-tongued scene as the twins’ grandmother.

At its heart, Queen of Bones builds on an alluring genre mash-up premise that blends historical family saga, supernatural mystery, and coming-of-age angst into one brooding package. It’s a concept rife with potential if handled deftly, even if this first swing doesn’t fully connect. For audiences craving intricate period set dressing, forbidden occult flavor, and a showcase of rising and seasoned actors alike, the film almost makes up in mood what it lacks in narrative impact.

Familiar Story Beats Without Satisfying Payoff

While the period setting offers some escape, Queen of Bones ultimately treads a well-worn narrative path that feels overly familiar without the depth to distinguish itself. Beyond the first acts’ leisurely table-setting, the plot builds tension too unevenly, with certain intriguing ideas left underbaked. Key reveals about the twins’ mother and the true nature of Lily’s emerging powers land too late, lacking setup to stick the landing.

We’ve seen the broad strokes of this coming-of-age clash with parental rules and religious doctrine many times before, from Carrie to The Craft, without enough clever tweaks or bold themes here to feel fresh. A subplot hinting at potential social commentary around feminine agency gets introduced then abandoned, while a waste of Taylor Schilling in a tertiary role goes nowhere. Even the spooky supernatural threat stays vaguely defined, missing chances to intricately weave themes of history’s lost wisdom and the outcasts who dared embrace it.

While atmospheric and well-acted, Queen of Bones relies too heavily on archetypes when more complex, relatable characters would draw us deeper into the family’s plight. Key background details emerge awkwardly late about the community’s ill feelings toward Malcolm, leaving his tyrannical motives thinly sketched. And side players like Ida May’s spurned son or the conservatory scout lend too little to justify their presence.

In the end for all its ominous chapter markers and talk of shattering climaxes, Queen of Bones can’t quite stick an emotionally resonant finale. Instead of a cathartic final clash to justify the slow wind-up, we get a rushed resolution where narrative dominoes seemingly constructed to fall never quite topple as intended.

An Atmospheric Yet Underwhelming Genre Entry

While far from a disaster, Queen of Bones falls into that grey area between mediocrity and buried greatness. It offers just enough period flavor, ensemble talent, and genre intrigue to admire, without ever fully combining those elements into a wholly satisfying cocktail. We’re lured in by the premise of supernatural secrets poisoning a secluded Depression-era family, and glimmers of tension around Lily’s fight for autonomy against domineering forces. Yet uneven pacing undercuts the slow-burn approach, substituting mystery for depth and leading to more smoke than fire.

Genre fans may still find pieces to appreciate amidst the ominous mood and occult rural flavor. But for those seeking fulfilling payoff after the languid first two acts, the climax lands neither enough suspense nor cathartic crunch. While gifted rising star Julia Butters proves the cast’s standout, and the production design transports us back in time, the story itself needed bolder shaping.

We expect more nourishment from these promising bones. Viewers enticed by Budreau’s pedigree, the premise, or actors like Freeman and Tremblay will likely leave wishing the substance matched the style. With polish in later efforts, this director still shows potential to deliver an indie thriller feast mixing tasted period atmosphere with satisfying meat.

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