Unsettling it will truly terrify you.. ‘RELIC’!

26th October 2020

p style=”text-align: center;”>
First feature film debuts are always something to look out for from the new directors and nowadays, with this new-age, second coming of the horror genre – and its reinvention into a much more artistic, slow-paced psychological films that are less jump-scares driven action flicks – the scary movies are one of the best places to start your film career with. This is where ‘Relic’ comes in – and with this feature, its director, Natalie Erika James, can proudly stand next to other newcomers that shocked and scared us this year, because her film can easily compete with Rob Savage’s ‘Host’ and Ross Glass’s ‘Saint Maude’.

   Kay (Emily Mortimer) is the daughter of Edna (Robin Nevin) and the mother of Sam (Bella Heathcote). When Edna goes missing, Kay and Sam arrive at the old woman’s house in order to investigate what happened, they find nothing but an evidently empty place, with bizarre notes all over it that seem to be instructions and warnings from Edna… for herself, as well as her family. And this is where the horror kicks off, but not in the old-fashioned, dawn-of-dread ‘60s, slasher ‘70s and ‘80s or happy killings ‘90s sense – no, this one is an artistic, visual storytelling that avoids slapstick cliches and genre blueprints to deliver an experience for the eye as well as the mind. The film is a case that has to be cracked by the audience.

VIDEO REVIEW

Jump scares are one of the defining characteristics of horror films. The feeling of unease, slow build-up that puts us on the edge of the seat that culminates with us getting freaked the hell out is one of the main reasons why the thrill-seeking audience reaches for a scary movie. In recent years, filmmakers tried to shy away from it as much as possible, but luckily, ‘Relic’ doesn’t completely abandon the formula. What we see on screen is not overdone, however, because as much as Natalie Erika James relishes in frightening her audience, she also does it in a more subtle way. And the real horror is the one that stays with us long after the screen fades out into blackness.

The true horror of this feature is the mental illness – it is the dementia at its worst, plaguing the family we follow on screens as much as it plagues our society.

It is a bad omen that waits around the corner for, perhaps, many of us, viewers. Embodying it within a haunted house and trapping people in there is a metaphor for the trapped mind and attempting to recreate it with images is a brave and ambitious attempt to dive into a sick mind that cannot be trusted – and if we cannot trust our own brain and sanity that plays tricks on us, than what the hell can we trust?

This one haunts you in the long run. The film’s unsettling narrative, as well as the ambient sounds that can truly terrify you, feeling as intimate if they were right in your ear, along with the outstanding – at times, gross – cinematography engrave the film’s message in your head and will surely keep you slightly up at night—or two!

If you enjoy a good, psychological mind-fuck, then head to Amazon Prime or check out your local cinema listings. We are just a week away from the Halloween and what better time of year for a little bit of fright!

THE BEST NEW MOVIES TO ‘SCREAM’ THIS HALLOWEEN!

SISTERS STICK TOGETHER!

It really, truly, absolutely rocks!!

Share this...
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
Linkedin
Share this...
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
Linkedin