A IFC Picture, Written by Natalie Erika James, Christian White, Directed by Natalie Erika James.
When family matriarch Edna (Robyn Nevin) goes missing, her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) return home to find her. They discover a haunting presence hanging over the home, which is taking over Edna’s mind. The film comes from first time writer/director Natalie Erika James, and I was lucky enough to have seen it for the first time back in October at the BFI London Film Festival.
As Sam and Kay return home to try and find Edna, it becomes immediately obvious that something is seriously wrong in this house, and the sense of dread just continues to grow. There is a strong atmosphere that James is able to create in the film which proves very effective, immediately drawing the audience in to the world she has created. Relic (2020) is very much out of the ‘elevated horror’ wheelhouse that has grown increasingly popular in recent years, where gore and jump scares are often replaced with a more character centric story packed full of building dread and atmosphere, and despite some more traditional horror elements that show up in the eventful third act, this film mostly follows that formula.
The centrepiece of the film is the house, and it is in many ways the classic haunted house, full of creaking hinges and doors that you shouldn’t open. This becomes particularly evident in the chase scenes through the house in the third act (a gutsy and fully supernatural scare fest that takes you by surprise), as the protagonists try to avoid the evil forces that occupy it, and find themselves separated and trapped in different areas that they didn’t know even existed.
At its very heart, and the key reason the film and its scares work, is that this is a film about the horrors of losing yourself or a loved one to dementia, and the ‘evil force’ that possesses Edna is a very clear metaphor for this (complete with the fear at the end that this ‘force’ will take over her daughter one day) and it is very effectively and thoughtfully made, playing on one of the most primal fears experienced by most people.
When a loved one begins to suffer with severe dementia, it is like you have completely lost them and someone else has taken over their body. That is literally represented here as the spirit takes over Edna, but the mirroring of reality is what really makes the horror land, not any supernatural elements. Seeing post-it notes left around the house is a particularly heart-breaking moment here that many who have lived through this will instantly recognise, and Natalie Erika James perfectly plants these seeds and references.
The film is very much a three hander between the lead actresses, and all of them deliver really compelling performances. Robyn Nevin truly commits to her role, one which is mostly non verbal and relies heavily on her facial expression and physicality to get across the message. Emily Mortimer is really convincing as a woman stuck between decisions on what to do for the best and who to prioritise. However, the stand out performance for me is from Bella Heathcote as a young woman desperate to help her loved ones but terrified by what is happening. Heathcote brings a lot of depth to the role and she has a very bright career ahead of her if she gets the opportunities.
Overall, this isn’t the perfect film and it certainly isn’t the most terrifying horror, but it is packed full of atmosphere, delivers a touching and disturbing finale, is focusing on a really important and powerful subject, and gets strong performances from its cast.
Rating = 3.5/5
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