Martin's Close (2019 film)

Martin's Close is a supernatural television drama produced by the BBC. Running at 30 minutes,[1] the drama was based on the ghost story Martin's Close by British writer and academic M. R. James, included in his 1911 collection More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. Adapted and directed by Mark Gatiss, it was broadcast on 24 December 2019 on BBC Four[1] as part of the long-running A Ghost Story for Christmas series and again on 24 December 2020.

Tile for Martins Close (2019)

Synopsis

The narrator, Stanton (Simon Williams), tells the tale of a young squire, John Martin (Wilf Scolding), who in 1684 is prosecuted for murder by the King's Counsel (Peter Capaldi) in a court presided over by the notorious Judge Jeffreys (Elliot Levey). But Ann Clark (Jessica Temple), the simple-minded and poor country girl he is accused of murdering, has been seen after her death.[1][2][3]

Cast
The kitchen at Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge was used for the scene where the ghost of Ann Clark appears at the inn

Adaptation

Giving the production three stars out of five, Tilly Pearce, the critic for Metro, wrote:

"It’s a snappy tale that doesn’t take too much of your time, and it’s got a fair amount of freaky moments that actually make your skin crawl a little bit."[6]

Michael Hogan, the critic for The Daily Telegraph, also giving three stars out of five, wrote:

"I must confess, I found the ending a mild disappointment. I found myself waiting for a twist or explanation that never came. Instead we were left with the haunting image of Martin being led off to the gallows and Ann's ghost gleefully joining the procession. This was eerie fare, rather than flat-out scary.

Budgetary limitations meant the simple story was told with a small cast and stripped-back. stagey production... For a punchy half-hour piece, however, its storytelling style felt unnecessarily convoluted..."[7]

Locations
The top floor of Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge was used for the trial scenes

The drama was filmed at Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest. The first floor Salon was used for the scene of the party where John Martin first encounters Ann Clark while the top floor was used for the court scenes.

References
  1. Martin’s Close (2019), Radio Times, December 2019
  2. "BBC Four Christmas highlights". BBC Media Centre. 26 November 2019.
  3. Feay, Suzi. Festive frights abound in Martin’s Close and A Christmas Carol, Financial Times, 20 December 2019
  4. "Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who, The Thick Of It, Paddington) will star in Martin's Close, airing this Christmas on BBC Four". BBC Media Centre. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. "Peter Capaldi to star in new BBC4 Christmas ghost story". Radio Times. 29 August 2019.
  6. Pearce, Tilly. Martin’s Close review: Mark Gatiss’ Christmas ghost tale needed more time to breathe, Metro, 23 December 2019
  7. Hogan, Michael. Martin's Close, review: this MR James ghost story was eerie, rather than flat-out scary, The Daily Telegraph, 24 December 2019
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