It’s coming. You can feel it looming, the pressure building. Steadily, it advances on you, closer with each step. Like a growing shadow or a whisper of breath at the back of your neck, you can feel its presence near. You know you can’t hide from it or turn it away, so you wait for it in fear, simply because there’s nothing else you can do. You almost wish it were here already, like some blissful, final release, but you also know that the waiting is the worst part, and that unfortunately, it has only just begun.
That, my dear readers—that dread-filled anticipation that seeps into your bones— is true horror. Relic is an Australian-American film that perfectly masters this looming fear not only as a brilliantly terrifying horror film, but also as a metaphor for the inevitable march of aging, disease, and death. Simply put, it is one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen.
Relic opens as endearing and tough Kay (played expertly by the lovely Emily Mortimer) and her 20-something daughter Sam trek out to Kay’s mom Edna’s house in the country, where the neighbors have expressed concern that they haven’t seen the old woman for days. As Kay and Sam hunker down in Edna’s home to search for the matriarch, we learn about the complex relationships between these three women, and we begin to sense a dark presence in the creaky, dusty, knick-knack-laden abode. When Edna mysteriously reappears, daughter, mother, and grandmother wrestle with tough family decisions, all while the house seems to close in on them, making us wonder if they will ever find their way out.
In her full-length writing/directorial debut, Natalie Erika James has created a masterpiece with this film. The eerie environment of an old house deep in the foggy woods sets a creepy tone for sure, but James layers on an even more nightmarish vibe with angled shots through glass and mirrors, dream-like trances, and blooming black mold you can practically smell through the screen. The scares are better than anything I could ask for – no cheap jumps here, but dark imagery hiding in the corners of the shots and whispers of ghosts and demons that make you want to see the film again and again to catch what you’re sure to have missed, even if you know the imagery will inevitably reemerge in some future nightmare.
James also aces the Bechdel test here, and blows all other failed attempts at feminist horror out of the water. The three strong female characters are played powerfully and beautifully by excellent actors, and have relatively straightforward personalities but complex relationships with one another and with themselves.
But the best thing about this film isn’t the acting or even the fact that it’s outstanding horror. In the first scene alone, Relic proves that point almost as if it’s a question it’s getting out of the way: Will this be scary? Yes, ok, onto the next. But the true beauty of Relic is how it effortlessly weaves together themes of strained mother-daughter ties, familial responsibility, and ultimately, love, punching you in the gut with powerful emotions just when you least expect it. I’m so excited to see what James offers next, and I truly hope she sticks with horror – if this is her debut, her natural talent for the genre is second to none.
Riveting, horrifying, and heartrending all at once, this film will have you hiding behind your hands one moment, then wiping away tears the next. It’s simply stunning.
SpecialK Verdict: Relic is horror that effectively sinks into your bones and unexpectedly invades your heart. It’s a new favorite of mine, and you absolutely have to see it. In fact, see it again and again. You won’t regret it.
Relic premiered at Sundance this year and was slated for a 2020 SXSW screening until COVID-19 postponed activities. Relic is now set to release nationwide on demand and for select drive-in screenings on Friday, July 10.
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