Martyrs Lane (2021)

Leah (Kiera Thompson) lives in the vicarage with her father Thomas (Steven Cree), mother Sarah (Denise Gough) and big sister Bex (Hannah Rae); as the vicar's family, life is constantly busy with parishioners coming and going at all hours. But at night, the big house feels gloomy and full of shadows, and when Leah is visited by a young girl (Sienna Sayer), she feels comforted by her and the little games that they play. As time goes on, however, the games get more dangerous and Leah might perhaps learn more than she wants to know about her family and herself....

This is a very atmospheric film, full of small moments in shadows and in quiet, too quiet, woods. There's a lot to take in as the movie unfolds, and while the viewer may well come to understand things fairly early on, the way the story moves at its own quiet, elegiac pace is just beautiful to behold. You may be left feeling melancholy, but you certainly won't be unmoved by this simple story, gracefully told.