Martyrs Lane (2021)
Directed By: Ruth Platt
Starring: Kiera Thompson, Sienna Sayer, Anastasia Hille, Denise Gough, Steven Cree and Hannah Rae
Plot Summary: In this unsettling ghost story, Leah, 10, lives in a large, old house with her family but can’t quite work out why her mother seems so distant. At night she is visited by a mysterious guest, who might be able to give her some answers. With a new challenge every night, Leah is rewarded with bits of knowledge that, when pieced together, threaten to shine a dangerous light on both the truth in her nightmares and of the world she lives in.
Directed by Ruth Platt (The Lesson). Starring Denise Gough (Colette, The Kid Who Would Be King), Steven Cree (Outlaw King, A Discovery of Witches), Kiera Thompson (His Name Was Gerry) and Sienna Sayer (Silent Night).
From the outset, I will say that 2021’s Martyrs Lane will not be for every horror fan. Indeed, the things I love about it are the very same things that others probably will not. The movie is a slow burn that both demands and rewards your strict attention. So, if you’re playing on your phone and watching this, you are bound to lose major details and clues which give the finale its impact. Platt’s film is horror, but not of the gory or shock value variety. Rather Martyrs Lane harkens back to Gothic literature in the tradition of the works of M.R James or Shirley Jackson. The film is steeped in the supernatural both in the literal and the allegorical. It also never gives the audience easy answers, and the finale is purposefully ambiguous. This is something that not everyone loves, but I think it’s a bold move and something that I wish more filmmakers were daring enough to try. There is also a subtlety to characters that helped make Lane feel completely real and grounded, even when the more fantastical elements crop up.
Like, no person is truly good, nor is anyone truly evil. This black-and-white binary is something that you see a lot in not only horror but movies in general because it’s easier to write in these terms. However, we get a more nuanced approach to the players that inhabit this story. Ruth Platt truly knows what kind of movie she wants to make. This is her third feature length film (and she has three shorts, one of which this is based), yet Martyrs Lane feels like it was helmed by someone with a dozen films under their belt. It’s refreshing to see this level of not only talent but confidence. The cast is great with newcomers Kiera Thompson and Sienna Sayer doing great work. Both girls are tasked with carrying most of the emotional weight, and I think they pull it off extremely well.
Lane also includes great performances by: Anastasia Hille, Denise Gough, Steven Cree and Hannah Rae.
The other thing that makes this movie incredible is its stunning visual style. Right from the very first seconds of the film, I could tell that this film had a very strong, meticulously constructed sense of worldbuilding. We first get this from the use of a lot of low camera angles which further drives home that we are seeing this world through the eyes of a child. Furthermore, cinematographer Márk Györi gives this movie polish and scope on what was most likely a modest budget. Gini Godwin also shines in a production design that is highly detailed and in tandem with Goyri photography helps to craft a truly chilling and unforgettable film experience. I really liked how he favors a lot of natural lighting which also ties into the film’s motif of the natural world juxtaposed to the supernatural one. This movie gave me del Toro vibes but never in a way that feels like a cheap copy. I also loved the nods to other movies like Salem’s Lot, Let Me In, and Rosemary’s Baby. If I had to complain, I would say that there are elements in the screenplay that feel slightly underdeveloped. Also, even though I find the movie engaging and never boring, there are some moments and plot points that could have been streamlined.
Martyrs Lane is effective in its horror without being gross. It explores death, loss and grieving in a way that feels smart, engaging and utterly beautiful. Bravo, Ruth Platt. You`ve made what is, in my humble opinion, a modern classic.
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Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.
