Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Martyrs Lane’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Martyrs Lane’.
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There was a time when the ghost story held to some supremely specific structures. Wherein a particular location was indeed haunted by a spirit that needed help to be released from this plane of existence through justice. Or where something evil was trapped in a house and eager to harm the poor souls that wandered into its domain, and of course… it was up to the people we meet in the story to either provide that all-important justice or defeat the evil within the house once and for all; and these films held to those formulas for simple reasons. Because following those plot lines allowed for an easy and palatable examination of the ghost world to take place, one that believers and non-believers could enjoy, and it also allowed for filmmakers to explore the possibility that good, and evil were concepts that transcended humanity. 
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But as the years have rolled along, and we’ve come to understand the human mind and how our emotions work, the ghost story has evolved into so much more. For now, they more or less to speak to the fact that ghosts are real. For they genuinely exist in our minds and our hearts through the trauma of loss and grief, and they haunt us on a daily basis when our souls still ache for the person that we lost and that’s allowed for some powerful ghost stories to come to life. The kind that teaches us powerful lessons about the nature of grief and what’s fascinating… is that these stories follow a certain formula as well. One where the ghosts are always defeated in a healthy manner, which oddly makes these stories quite uplifting in the end, giving new life to the sub-genre but also doing a disservice to the audience at the same time. Because it is important to acknowledge, that not everyone battles their demons and they suffer because of it and thankfully, some filmmakers are starting to explore that aspect of the grieving process.

In fact, Shudder is now host to a film that offers up a bleak ghost story, one that genuinely takes the time to explore what happens when ghosts aren’t confronted in our minds and that makes Martyrs Lane one powerful film, one that is oddly devastating from the start… thanks to how it plunges us into this story. For when we catch up with our main character, a girl named Leah, we quickly come to realize she leads a fairly sorrowful life. For her family is clearly broken and she hasn’t a friend in the world, and she is simply trying to find some semblance of joy, and that finally appears in her life once she swipes a lock of hair from her mother’s treasured locket. For shortly after that, a young nameless girl with sullied angel wings appears at Leah’s window and begins to give her a great deal of clues. The kind that will eventually reveal a painful and powerful family secret, one mired in tragedy and endless grief and its exposure will change the dynamic of Leah’s family, for all time.

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Which at first glance, appears to be a plot mired heavily in traditional ghost tropes. For having a spirit visit someone to reveal their story, implies that the spirit is in need of justice and rest and needs this pure heart to make that happen. But as the story continues along and we begin to see that Leah’s desire to uncover the clues that this spirit is giving her, creates strife and panic within the home… this story takes on a whole new light. One where it is obvious that her mother, Sarah, has not dealt with the harrowing incident that took place within this household years ago and that the grief that is hanging heavy in her soul… is beginning to suck the life out of her. Which allows for this movie to shift gears and offer up some age-old staples of horror; commentary, and lessons. The kind that makes it clear that the ghosts we carry in our hearts can in fact be quite dangerous… if we let them.
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Which means that in order to be free of the terror and of pain that they can cause us, we have to confront them and resolve their meaning to us and if not… then we run the risk of having them consume us. As to whether or not that happens in this story, well… we won’t spoil that there. Because this motion picture is a visceral journey that needs to be experienced by the viewer firsthand, and it is also a story features some solid horror elements within its framework as well. Because dealing with matters of death and the trauma that accompanies that, allows for visceral moments to take place in this tale, the kind that feel akin to waking nightmares, and that alone makes your skin crawl. But the scares are further enhanced in this tale, by the visiting spirit herself. Simply because the off-kilter nature in which she operates, leaves one uncomfortable with the moment, as does her overzealous desire to have the truth revealed. But there is a brilliant subtext to that particular aspect of her journey.

Because it is in fact, terrifying to face our demons and our pain, and placing that subtext within the ghost, adds more depth to an already cerebral story that quite frankly, you must see. Because this one really does offer a lot to horror fans out there. Since it really is the perfect blend of modern/elevated horror and the classic gothic ghost stories of yore. Especially when it comes to Leah’s home since it really resembles something straight out of Poe or Lovecraft’s work and to top it all off, there are some amazing performances to be found in this story as well. With special marks going to Kiera Thompson (Leah) and Denise Gough (Sarah) for bringing such emotional gravity to a story that would not be the same without their performances and well, in the end, swing by Shudder and give Martyrs Lane a look. Because you can never go wrong with a brilliant horror film that seamlessly blends together parts of the ghost story sub-genre and features some fascinating commentary. The kind that stays with you long after the story has ended.

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