Relic

This Australian horror never ceased to amaze me. The film started off very mysterious and rather spooky. As with so many horror films, I expected the mystery to subside by the second act, but it remained mysterious and creepy for the entire movie. It's been a while since I've experienced a movie like this.

Kay is asked to check up on her mother, Edna, who lives alone in a big house in the countryside, and haven't been seen in a few days. Kay's daughter, Sam, accompanies her. From the onset it is clear things are not what they seem. When Edna suddenly reappears, things get even creepier and more mysterious. Robyn Nevin is fantastic as Edna. Edna clearly has dementia, but there's something far more sinister going on ... or is there?

Bloody hell, this film was so much better than expected. Some moments - especially during the final act - will have you cringe in your seat. The effects were never over the top, but ever so effective. Wow, this was good - and also somewhat disturbing. Great ending!

In "Relic", a woman and her teenage daughter hurry back to the parental home in a remote Australian region because their mother/grandmother is reported missing for a few days already. This simple and basic piece of information already takes the film more than 20 minutes to illustrate. After another few days of worrying and panic, the grandmother comes back home and pretends as if everything is normal, but she's clearly suffering physically and - in particular - mentally. That covers pretty much the rest of the film and gives you an idea of how slow-paced "Relic" is.

Writer/director Nathalie Erika James definitely understood that genuine horror relies on building suspense and on the strong personalities of the lead characters, but I'm guessing that, along the way, she forgot that also a minimum of action is required. I wouldn't even refer to "Relic" as horror, in fact, since it's more of a family drama in which clichéd themes like (demonic) possession serve as metaphors for life's real tragedies & ordeals, like Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and care for the elder. Intelligent and socially relevant, for sure, but unfortunately rather dull.

It's so rare that anyone uses the horror genre to tell you something you needed to know about life. I'm absolutely overwhelmed at how elegantly this film horrified me, how totally it drew me in, and the *work* being done by the cast.

A really beautiful, touching, absolutely terrifying movie, that hit me across nearly every note. My gosh. Worth a watch.

The movie is good in the sense that it makes you feel how does it to have a family member who has dementia illness, alzheimer.

The movie depicts the feelings of being lost, and helplessness in the face of an illness that can turn a person into something else, to a different person. And it also teaches you to deal with it, you need to embrace it.

Good visual scenes, and sound effects. Normally, I don't like movies like this but I liked this one.

I've been awaiting the arrival of this film ever since watching the trailer a few weeks ago. It had that depth of darkness and a feeling of realness to it that I look for in a good horror film. Relic explores the subject of dementia in a unique fashion that will pull at your heart strings. Especially for those that have dealt with the illness first hand.

Relic is essentially a drama which disguises itself as a horror film by using a few of the classic horror conventions and clichés. The metaphors provide the real horror here.

The three main actors do a great job of conveying the story and deliver a wonderful performance that will leave you emotionally gripped throughout. Where Relic lacks, is in pace. At times it can be rather dull, long winded and only finally picks up in the last 1/3rd of the film.

The climax of the film will have you on the edge of your seat and is easily the best part of the film. Those that don't like thought provoking, symbolic conclusions will probably want to stay clear of this one. Still, it's one of the more memorable endings to a film I've seen in a while and undoubtedly uncomfortable.

This one is worth the runtime just for the brilliant score, ambiance and composition. You definitely need a decent pair of headphones or a nice sound system to get the most out of this one. The film is very dark, visually, it can be hard to make out specific details in most scenes. Obviously this is done to expand the creepy and unpredictable atmosphere but if anything, makes the film seem duller.

It's not a 10/10 movie by any means but it does serve as a mildly entertaining way to pass an hour and a half of time. Especially if you don't have anything else to do or watch. Give it a go, you may like it.

My retrospective on this one: sometimes you have to discard the old version of a person you knew and learn to love them for what they've become.