Marchlands follows the familiar premise of mysterious ghost child who becomes living child’s ‘imaginary friend’. Worried, disbelieving, parents attempt to put a stop to the relationship, and poltergeist activity ensues. Ideas like this are re-hashed all the time. The question is does Marchlands do this with any creative innovation?
Well it juggles quite smoothly between three families living in the same house but in different periods of history. One from the 1960s, who’ve lost their daughter, Alice, in mysterious circumstances. One from the 1980s, who are haunted by the ghost of Alice. And one from 2010, a couple with a baby on the way, who are soon to discover that the nursery they are decorating for their new child once belonged to the dead Alice.
As a viewer you are essentially presented with the start of a game on a Cluedo board, you begin knowing nothing and along the way begin to collect obvious clues as to the who the where and the how of the mystery of the little girl’s death. Marchlands is essentially a murder mystery with ghosts and that’s what will keep you watching, the anticipation of the reveal over the coming five episodes.
The 1960s and the 2010 family (in the first episode at least) have more intriguing storylines. The characters are dark and it is not clear whether they can all be trusted. The isolation of the two central female characters from these periods is particularly poignant. In fact, this is an example of real-life horror being equal to if not more threatening than supernatural horror.
1960s Ruth Bowen (Jodie Whittaker), whose daughter, Alice, has seemingly drowned, is battling against a family that won’t acknowledge the mysterious circumstances of her death. What is foreboding is the idea that there may be ulterior motives at play, which the drama subtly encourages. Similarly, 2010s Nisha Parekh (Shelley Conn) has been brought to the house by her husband Mark Ashburn (Elliot Cowan), who wants to move back to his old neighbourhood. Nisha becomes suspicious when Mark uses sign language to a lady across the street and she later questions him about it. This enriches the mystery further and combined with Nisha’s vulnerability as a pregnant lady, adds to the tension.
Don’t worry though, this Thursday night drama is unlikely to give you nightmares. Mid-week audiences have clearly been considered and in that sense Marchlands skilfully executes shocking scenes whilst remaining unimposing. The horror scenes are clichéd. Perhaps this was deliberate so that the audience can enjoy the feeling of shivers down their spine whilst still feeling safe with the familiar supernatural scenes.
If you enjoy a mid-week drama that is not too heavy to watch then Marchlands is worth viewing. If you prefer to be terrorised by the supernatural on screen it’s best to treat it as a simple mystery to be unravelled and hope for a good twist at the end to make it all worthwhile. Upon viewing the first episode Marchlands has really been done before. Try watching it on your own with the lights off for maximum impact.
