Relic

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.

I am so tired of horror movies where the characters move to a new house and walk in dark corridors for 80 minutes. What's that sound? Oh it's a washing machine. It doesn't matter. What's that sound? Oh it's just grandma being a weirdo. Go to bed grandma. What's that-- It's all a meaningless barrage of random nonsense. We need the first 80 minutes of the movie to get to the actual reason why this movie was made - the pretentious last 10 minutes. Just release that allegory for dementia/depression as a stand alone short film and don't waste my time with filler.

This is well done and I can't say I have seen anything like it. The actors are very good and the script is creative and well timed. It's a fairly slow burn but not enough to lose your attention. I love a good horror but this one hit too close to home. I couldn't handle it. That's never happened before. When I was a teenager, my best friend and I, used to get rocked and go see movies like The Exorcist. So, when I say I couldn't handle THIS movie, that says something. If you love a good horror and you are the target audience, this one will give you nightmares. If you're not the target audience, it probably won't phase you. For instance, if you are afraid of flying, then movies about aircraft accidents will effect you. If you are not afraid of flying you can mentally step back and not get nervous watching a movie about airplane accidents. It's like that. If something like this has even remotely touched your life, this movie will rattle your cage big time.

A solid debut for Natalie James. This is a slow burn horror that builds with each minute, and by the third act is full blown terror. All of the acting was surprisingly phenomenal, extremely impressed by Bella Heathcote. The third act is a fun ride, claustrophobic and even a little gore. Give it a shot, you wont be disappointed.

Making movies for today's horror audience is a tricky proposition, but Relic impressed me with it's commitment to telling an emotional story that resonates with issues which you may recognise from our lives outside of the "fantasy-horror" tropes. The movie is a slow burn which devotes the majority of its time to establishing the central 3 characters (impressive performances), who make up 3 generations of women from an old family in an old house in rural Victoria. If you enjoy thoughtful film-making with a "less is more" approach, you'll be rewarded by a masterfully disturbing and shocking third act climax with an emotional kick that will give you closure but leave you thinking. It should be noted though, just the like characters in Relic, you'll have to give attention to the people in front of you to reap the rewards.