After lying buried in obscurity, Queen of Bones has dug itself up and become a streaming hit. The 2023 horror movie stars Martin Freeman, who is best known for his role as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014).
Two years after its release, Queen of Bones ranks fifth on Prime Video’s Top 10 movies in the United States for today, October 8. It ranks below Play Dirty, No Time to Die, A Working Man, Diablo and above Casino Royale, Love Hurts, Tremors, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Knight and Day.
Directed by Robert Budreau, with a script written by Michael Burgner, Queen of Bones is set in 1931 Oregon and follows twin siblings who break their father’s vow of silence and uncover the eerie supernatural forces linked to their mother’s death on their remote homestead.
In addition to the Emmy-winning Martin Freeman (Sherlock), the cast also includes Once Upon a Time in Hollywood breakout Julia ʙuттers, Jacob Tremblay (Room, Wonder), and Emmy nominee Taylor Schilling (Orange Is the New Black).
Queen of Bones‘ streaming success is somewhat surprising, considering how unknown the horror movie seems to be. The film was shown privately to distributors at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and went on to screen to the public at several smaller festivals, including the Whistler Film Festival and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The movie didn’t receive a theatrical release and went straight to video on demand in August 2025 before streaming on Prime Video. But still, it remains somewhat obscure. At the time of writing, Queen of Bones only has 4 reviews and fewer than 50 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, which aren’t enough to qualify for scores.
On Rotten Tomatoes, three out of its four reviews are negative, criticizing its thin and overambitious plot. Though critics praise its strong performances, mood, atmosphere, and visual authenticity – they criticize its lack of psychological depth, uneven pacing, and tedious storytelling – resulting in a mixed and sometimes dull entry into the folk horror genre.
Queen of Bones only has five audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which are also sharply divided. Some praise its authentic acting and realistic witchy atmosphere, while most say it’s dull and lacks scares, calling it boring and disappointing overall.
But still, the movie’s streaming success on Prime Video can’t be denied. Martin Freeman has gone from hobbit holes to haunted homesteads – and Queen of Bones is digging up a cult following.
