Relic is a 2020 Australian-American horror film about a family being haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their home.
Directed by Natalie Erika James – making her feature debut – from a screenplay co-written with Christian White, the movie stars Emily Mortimer (Mary; Spectral), Bella Heathcote (The Neon Demon; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; Dark Shadows) and Robyn Nevin; it was produced by Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Riva Marker.
Plot:
When elderly mother Edna (Robyn Nevin) inexplicably vanishes, her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) rush to their family’s decaying country home, finding clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence.
After Edna returns just as mysteriously as she disappeared, Kay’s concern that her mother seems unwilling or unable to say where she clashes with Sam’s unabashed enthusiasm to have her grandma back.
As Edna’s behaviour turns increasingly volatile, both begin to sense that an insidious presence in the house might be taking control of her. All three generations of women are brought together through trauma and a powerful sense of strength and loyalty to face the ultimate fear together…
Reviews:
“Not only was I baffled by what I had just watched and feeling the need to look up interviews, but for me the things that happened near the end were not worth the long, slow journey it took to get there. The movie feels much longer than its 89 minutes, and I didn’t feel rewarded for sticking with it. I was also put off by just how dark the film was, visually speaking.” Arrow in the Head
“Horror used as an exploration for illness, loss, and what we inherit from our family isn’t new, but the way James approaches her subject matter feels fresh. What begins as a more straightforward yet psychological approach to haunted house fare explodes into full-blown horror in a wholly unexpected way, and Relic marks one audacious debut.” Bloody Disgusting
“A bit sluggish even for a slow-burner, this family drama- turned-body horror relies on mood, atmosphere, and sense of dread to sustain your interest until the mostly uneventful first hour, and although the rewarding final act is gross-out creepy, grisly, and fairly frightening, Relic refuses to tie up the loose ends…” CineMarvellous!
” …it’s a beautifully photographed movie — and the last 30 minutes are terrifically surprising (and surprisingly tender). Prior to that, it’s a lot of random, undifferentiated Creepy Things happening, with the music and sound design doing a lot of the work. Good overall…” Crooked Marquee
“Relic fulfills dual roles as both a straightforward psychological thriller themed around a haunted house and a multilayered examination of Alzheimer’s that can be dissected down to each detail. With its somber setting and serious performances from all three leads, nothing else in cinema tackles the terror of this topic with as much tact and creepy creativity.” Culture Crypt
” …I really enjoyed how James was able to roll the realistic tragedy of what this family is enduring into the off-putting and terrifying occurrences that are also happening at the same time, giving the film a palpable sense of dread at every turn […] Anchored by a trio of beautifully nuanced and demanding performances, and a well-crafted script that does a wonderful job of balancing characters and scares…” Daily Dead
“Relic takes its time getting to the crowd-pleasing horror part, but when it does it delivers the goods and excites the viewer’s imagination with a stunning conclusion. This is a superior horror film that gives you some realistic scares…” Dennis Schwartz
” …once Relic has drawn you into its world, director Natalie Erika James – who also co-wrote the movie with Christian White – goes all-out in an intense and terrifying final third as the house becomes a main character. It’s a breathless culmination, but what really makes Relic hit home is that James hits you with an emotional sucker punch you won’t expect.” Digital Spy
“If you have a personal connection to the film’s themes and characters, or if you’re open to feeling empathy, the film’s conclusion will wreck you in a myriad of ways. Happily, it’s also a kick-ass horror film with a wonderfully realized execution that will have you nervously smiling from fear as each movement, each sound, and each step brings you closer to the end.” Film School Rejects
” …where The Babadook keeps its monster at arm’s length, the last 30 minutes of Relic are a tour-de-force of intensity and emotion. The haunted house story becomes a descent into hell, full of twists and grotesque imagery, all before James pulls back and reveals the emotionally devastating truth behind her feature debut…” GameSpot
“As Kay and Sam are driven closer together by their fears for Edna, the audience is able to confront its fears: of death, of old age, of losing our memories, of dying alone with no loved ones to care for us in our final moments. The movie takes some bizarre turns as it hurtles toward its climax, but Relic ends on an unexpectedly moving note (if still chilling).” Goomba Stomp
“In plot terms, Relic is probably a little thin on incident to satisfy the hard-core horror contingent, but the control with which James teases out lurking physical menace, mounting claustrophobia and growing psychological unease in her characters is impressive indeed.” The Hollywood Reporter
“The first half of Relic feels pretty standard-issue, but it is really setting up a wild turn around the halfway mark. It turns into something really scary and also some legitimately cool cinema craftmanship. It is definitely worth the time investment. Highly recommended for horror fans…” J.B. Spins
” …I could not shake the idea that Relic could have been told as strong—if not stronger—without the horror slant. Still, it doesn’t take away from a beautifully uncomfortable final scene that literally and figuratively deals with the concept of layers and the hereditary bonds that forever make up a family.” MMJ
“An impressive first feature, humanist in its compassionate consideration of mental fragility and the melancholy inherent in spiritual degeneration, yet never forgetting to deliver spooky frights, Relic could quickly go down as one of the best horror movies of the year when 2020 is over. It’s a terrific, unsettling subversion of the haunted house movie too…” The Playlist
“Viewers could debate endlessly whether The Babadook is a real, physical creature or a manifest metaphor, and they can have the exact same arguments over Relic. But it’s going to be a lot more fun to just give into the well-crafted scares, and to the outsized, uncomfortably relatable emotions of the final scene.” Polygon
“James allows her film to play out like an old-fashioned haunted house movie, tightening the screws through strange shadows under doors and creaking sounds in the walls. And then she drops the hammer, producing a final act that had me sweating, followed by an epilogue that’s open to interpretation and daringly strange.” RogerEbert.com
“Relic is an incredible feature debut, assured even as it takes its viewers into these dark corners of the psyche made all teh more terrifying not only by their uncanniness, but their realistic portrayal of a future that awaits so many of us.” Screen Anarchy
“Not everyone will appreciate the ambiguity of a climax that can be read as either an uplifting act of pure and selfless love or a depressing capitulation to the malign forces of inevitable decline, but either way, “art-house horror” has its 2020 tidemark set high.” Variety
Release:
Relic had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020.
IFC Midnight has announced a July 10th VOD and Digital release. A theatrical release is also planned for July 10th.
Cast and characters:
Emily Mortimer … Kay
Bella Heathcote … Sam
Robyn Nevin … Edna
Chris Bunton … Jamie
Steve Rodgers … Constable Mike Adler
Jeremy Stanford … Alex
Catherine Glavicic … Doctor Stanley
Christina O’Neill … Grace
John Browning … Nursing Home Man
Robin Northover … Elderly Man
Technical details:
89 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
