The 2023 horror film from Martin Freeman and Taylor Schilling is a streaming hit on Prime Video

One of the strange byproducts of the streaming era is the way forgotten flops can resurface and enjoy a little respite before disappearing into the ether again. Just look at the road Ryan Reynolds’ worst-reviewed film has been a hit on Prime Video 12 years after its disappointing debut. Or how about an overlooked Martin Freeman horror film that never made it to theaters but has now made its way to Prime Video fame? 2023’s “Queen of Bones” has been on the streaming charts for over a week now, clearly benefiting from the season’s spooky bump. But is it good?

The film sees Freeman play Malcolm, a widowed father of two in 1930s Oregon. Twin brother and sister Sam (Jacob Tremblay) and Lily (Julia Butters) are still trying to come to terms with the mysterious death of their mother (Taylor Schilling), but they seem to begin to find answers when they discover a spell book in the attic of their secluded farmhouse. Of course, this being a horror film, some sort of malevolent force is not far away, and it soon becomes clear that the woods surrounding the family home host a particularly sinister force that may have had something to do with the death of Malcolm’s wife.

Directed by Canadian director Robert Boudreau (who previously helmed the Chet Baker biopic “Born to Be Blue”), “Queen of Bones” didn’t get much of a release. After debuting at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the film premiered at the 2023 Whistler Film Festival before its US premiere at the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. “Queen of Bones” eventually arrived on video on demand on August 1, 2025, but did not cause much fanfare. Now, Prime Video subscribers have revived the film just in time for Halloween.

According to the streaming viewership tracker Flex Patrol“Queen of Bones” remained in the chart for over a week, peaking at number five on October 8, 2025. It has since declined somewhat, falling to number six the next day before falling to number eight at the time of writing. But she’s still holding on, and with Halloween still in the lead, we may see the “Queen of Bones” delayed.

To do this, you will have to compete with John Candy: I ​​Like Me, a documentary directed by Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds that honors one of the best actors we lost too soon.. This joyful celebration of a great comedy is currently sitting at the top of the Prime Video charts, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere at the moment. ‘Queen of Bones’ will also have to overcome a major Bond onslaught, with 007 recently returning to Prime Video and storming the charts. That seems like a tall order for a horror movie, but it could happen.

However, whether the film is worth going higher than that is still up for debate. “Queen of Bones” doesn’t have enough reviews on Rotten Tomatoes to make it onto the tomatometer. But the one review by a “senior critic” on the site isn’t very flattering. Dennis Harvey of Variety was unimpressed with the film’s lack of “bold ideas and execution”, ultimately concluding that “Queen of Bones” was “a disappointing, if watchable, exploration of familiar themes and character types.” Simply put, there are some Great horror movies streaming for free on Halloweenand perhaps they’ll make a better time than Martin Freeman and Taylor Schilling’s sloppy effort.