After being in distribution turmoil since February 2024 “Queen of Bones” is finally getting a U.S. release. The film was screened for distributors only at TIFF in 2023. After it seems may have switched hands multiple times until Vertical got a hold of it. The film features a loaded cast that stars  Julia Butters, whom you can see in “Freakier Friday” and Jacob Tremblay, whom you can see in “Life With Chuck” as twins living in near isolation in the woods with their father during the Great Depression. It seems their mother died after giving birth to them. Here in this both actors have cemented themselves as sought-after talents after making this.  They are grounded by the season actor Martin Freeman playing their stubborn and rigid father.

There isn’t much below the surface of the story. It’s trying to be a folklore pulp, and tap dances around too many cliches to not feel tiresome to view.  A father covets his children ignoring their maturing fearing outside forces will harm them. In a delusional state he believes he is protecting them. Written to keep the mystery and magic in the background so as to focus on the uneasiness of the household that the father keeps. If that was the desire, a strong emphasis on the common theme of “ silence is violence”  would have made it far more enticing. Showing how it is a constant state of anxiety to live with a psychotic parent. Instead we have a secret book with spells and cryptic drawings, ghost knocking on windows, and the necessity to visit the creepy old woman’s house for an exposition dump. All sound familiar right?

 The film is also plainly fundamental filmmaking.  There are no more than four colors present in each shot, as well as, consisting of the basic three texture technique with simple lens framing. That alone doesn’t hurt the film, but keeping things simple should not be just to keep things rudimentarily, never having a unique angle or frame. The camera stubbornly keeps the action tight in the shot and always centered. It’s supposed to enhance the feeling of enclosed and confined instead it comes off as well, basic. It desperately craves a music score to maintain a tone of psychological thriller. To intensify the tension that this film lacks. The scores they have really don’t add much and are very forgettable.  A great music score would really bring out the psychosis and misery felt by each character and enrich the slow stirring rising action.

What does show through is Julia Butters amazing talent and charm. It would have been a more effective film if the audience observed the action through Julia Butters’ character more. Have her character lead and be the narrator. Have her eyes lead the viewer and only elicit an emotion in reaction to others.  Lily  being entirely the main focus would have made the end an even bigger pay off.  There isn’t much of a mystery here nor much of a danger.  There is a scene where the kids encounter a wolf in the woods but by that time I already knew no harm would come to them.  “Queen of Bones” wants to show the flaw of anxiety of safety and protection when itself as a story plays it safe and protects its characters telling it. 4/10