My Sister’s Bones – Movie Review (3/5)

MY SISTER’S BONES is a new thriller mystery from the UK. While it doesn’t run for too long, thanks to a runtime of just 81 minutes, it still feels a little too slow. Fortunately, the cast of this movie more than makes up for that. It will keep you guessing even after you’ve guessed most of the twists. Read our full My Sister’s Bones movie review here!

MY SISTER’S BONES is a British thriller mystery based on a best-selling novel. It’s not a book I’m familiar with, so I can’t say whether it follows the story closely. However, I can say that watching this adaptation made me want to read the book, which is always a good sign.

What’s less of a good sign is that I can imagine the book will work better than the movie did. This has to do with both the choices made for this film adaptation and the simple fact that some things just work better on paper than on the screen. Having said that, I must emphasize how I absolutely recommend watching this thriller. Not least thanks to the amazing ending of My Sister’s Bones.

Continue reading our My Sister’s Bones movie review below. Find it on Digital in both the US and UK now.

Bad history in families

My Sister’s Bones is very much a twisted mystery thriller based on the bad history that can run in families across generations. Secrets that result in bad behavior and addiction, rather than facing the truth head-on. This is an oversimplification, but also a core note in this movie.

We follow the traumatised war reporter, Kate Rafter (Jenny Seagrove), as she finally returns to her childhood home. She’s been away on assignment in Iraq, but the death of her mother makes her return. Not least to help her sister, Sally (Anna Friel), deal with emptying the home they grew up in.

Sally isn’t exactly happy to see her sister, as she feels she abandoned them long ago. Which is true, but also with good reason, as Kate’s childhood was brutal. The two girls grew up with very different experiences. Particularly when it comes to how their father treated them.

Being back home, Kate becomes convinced that there is something sinister happening in the house next door. Something involving a small boy, which means (not least due to her past experiences) that she has to investigate. If a child needs her help, she will do whatever it takes to get that child to safety.

An awesome British cast

As a fan of British crime thrillers (and many other UK productions for that matter), I was familiar with most of the cast. My Sister’s Bones wins a lot simply by this amazing cast full of familiar faces. Talented familiar faces. Also, next to the British cast members, we have Ukraine-born Olga Kurylenko (Other) in a key role.

I am also very fond of her, so that was a happy addition to the British cast. However, if you expect Olga Kurylenko to have a starring role, you’ll be surprised. She may be the face on some posters for the UK thriller, but she has a smaller key role in the actual movie.

The same goes for Anna Friel (Marcella), who has a bigger role, but is still “just” a supporting cast member in this production.

In another smaller role, we see David Bradley (Frankenstein), while one of the larger supporting roles is portrayed by Ben Miles (Death by Lightning). He plays the husband of Anna Friel‘s character, and gets along better with the main character than anyone else, really.

The absolute star of My Sister’s Bones is Jenny Seagrove as Kate Rafter. Jenny Seagrove may be best known by genre fans for William Friedkin‘s horror movie The Guardian (1990).

Watch My Sister’s Bones on VOD now

My Sister’s Bones comes from director Heidi Greensmith, who previously directed the 2015 movie Winter. The screenplay comes from Naomi Gibney, but is based on the novel written by Nuela Ellwood. As stated earlier, I am definitely curious about the book based on this movie.

The story that plays out in this film adaptation must have had different strengths on paper, and while the adaptation works for me, I can’t help but think it could have been even better. Those twists and reveals in the final act are extremely powerful and almost become rushed, which is a real shame.

I have to warn you that if you think this is a drama with a little crime story hidden somewhere in the midst, then you are in for a brutal surprise. The ending of My Sister’s Bones was far more sinister than I ever expected or anticipated. It’s all about secrets in the family finally coming out, and what you think is the worst secret may be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

My Sister’s Bones became available on VOD in the US on January 30 and is out on Digital in the UK on February 23, 2026.

Details

Director: Heidi Greensmith
Writer: Naomi Gibney
Cast: Anna Friel, Jenny Seagrove, Ben Miles, David Bradley, Olga Kurylenko