As is so often the case in horror, the genre trappings serve as a framework for the exploration of deeper themes and ideas. In this instance, Stappard uses this gothic chiller as a perfect vehicle to confront the legacy and brutality of colonialism. Characters on all sides are haunted by the lingering shadow of imperialism, of a culture crushed and assimilated into another, their identity and existence stripped away by force. The righteous anger and quest for retribution are fueled by the ongoing fetishization and eroticizing by the conquerors of the very culture they sought to absorb and eradicate. Cole and his fellows claim to have so much reverence and respect for the Māori, while simultaneously keeping them under their thumb, exploiting them for their own gains. The narrative is at the same time specific to the British oppression of the Indigenous people of New Zealand, and also a wider anti-imperialist screed applicable to many places throughout the history of the modern world.
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All of this comes wrapped in a gorgeous, dreamy, slow-burn specter of a film, anchored by an fearless, ferocious, multi-faceted performance from Osborne. Mary embodies the resilience and strength of a people struggling under the boot of an invader. And surely Toby Stephens is a nice enough person in real life, but holy hell does he excel as playing unsettling creeps, the type of people who greet you with a warm embrace and a smile like a razor at your throat.
Marama is definitely a film worth checking out. Psychologically and thematically rich, it’s an eerie and disquieting bit of gothic horror delivered in a beautifully crafted, exquisitely rendered film package. It’s a hell of an announcement for Stappard and should be a calling card for Osborne. [Grade: A]
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