FAMILY TIES // A FILM REVIEW OF "RELIC"

BY MATEO MORENO

The advantage of thinking outside the box when crafting a horror film can work to your advantage many times over. Horror is more popular than ever, but many stick alongside the same familiar rhythms. After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? However, the huge disadvantage of not straying beyond the familiar lines is that the scares don't feel earned and we can see the cracks long before they hit the characters. So let us all give a huge thank you to Natalie Erika James, who's first feature length film RELIC is not only one of the most original horror films in years, but it's astoundingly great, even opening to a fantastic score on Rotten Tomatoes, hovering well above 90%. Now how's that for an original jump scare?

First premiering at Sundance this year (as part of their Midnight section), the film follows Edna (Robyn Nevin), an aging woman living in a giant, decaying home in Australia. We only see her for moments in the beginning before she mysteriously disappears. Her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) head straight there to find answers, and to find out what happened to Edna. However, her sudden reappearance days later leaves more questions than answers. She doesn't talk of where she was and sees a bit distant and occasionally violent. So Kay and Sam beginning their quest to find out what exactly happened to Edna and soon discover that there may be something much more sinister lurking inside the walls around them.

RELIC starts as a wonderfully shot, edited and acted film but in the beginning seems to be hitting the usual beats of a "been there, done that" film. But oh, how you would be wrong if you continued down that road of thought. The twists and turns are slow and gradual, trading jump scares for lingering, unsettling and chilling moments between the three women, twisting together a family drama within a horror filled house. I checked my watch with 20 minutes to go, amazed that I still had zero idea where the film was going, and it stayed that way until the haunting final moments.

All three actresses give outstanding performances. Emily Mortimer gives a performance that is stoic and fresh. She will not be satisfied until she discovers what is happening to her mother, and Mortimer's grounded performance anchors the film wonderfully. Bella Heathcote underplays the role of her concerned daughter nicely, and twists assuredly into the maze-like final act. Robyn Nevin's heartbreaking performance as the aging Edna is heartbreaking as much as it is terrifying. Co-writer/Director Natalie Erika James (who co-wrote the film with Christian White) has created a stunningly powerful meditation on the human experience, right alongside one of the most genuinely creepy films you will see. Truly a must see, RELIC will quickly earn a place as one of your favorite spooky stories for years to come.

GRADE: A

WRITTEN BY Natalie Erika James, Christian White DIRECTED BY Natalie Erika James STARRING Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, Bella Heathcote. Now available on Virtual Cinemas.