RELIC (2020) Movie Review – A House and our Head

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Relic is one of those movies that actually suffers from bad timing. Anyone and their dog is going to watch the trailer and shout, “HEREDITARY!” And truthfully, I think this film was inspired by Ari Aster‘s 2018 hit, or I would at least say that RELIC would not have existed without it. I would also argue that Jennifer Kent‘s The Babadook started this wave of mother driven haunted house films, so there you go. However, as Aster’s film differs from Kent’s, James’ Relic differs from Hereditary.

Mother and daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and Sam (Bella Heathcote) have left their homes in Melbourne to investigate their MIA grandmother Edna (Robyn Nevin) back at the family’s country home. Upon arrival, Kay and Sam notice that grandmother’s home is in disarray. What’s more? Grandma is still missing. As they search the home, they find Post-It notes plastered all over the house, written by Grandma Edna reminding herself to do the most menial tasks, such as “flush the toilet,” and the more mysterious, “Don’t follow it.” That night, both Kay and Sam hear thumping and knocking, as if someone is calling for help, but no one is there?

Then suddenly, out of thin air, Edna appears the next morning. Kay is confused, and begins to pry, wanting answers. Sam however, is more accepting to her Grandmother’s mysterious appearance. A doctor is called by Kay, and Edna is checked out. Everything seems fine, except Edna is hiding something from the doctor- a black spot on her chest that almost looks like mold. The doctor notices and Edna snarks, “It’s just a bruise!” The doctor orders Kay and Sam to stay and watch their grandmother for a few days, just to make sure.

That night, as before. They hear invisible knocking all over the old house, and Kay has a dream that seems to be a long lost memory of a cottage that is dark inside, covered in mold.

Natalie Erika James smartly makes this film so much more than a haunted house story. She makes a haunted “us” story. A house is a perfect metaphor for the inhabitant’s mind. This is where RELIC truly differentiates itself from Hereditary or The Babadook. Set in James’ crosshairs is the mental illness of Dementia. An unruly and overpowering disease of the mind that takes away our family as their brains develop dead spots. It is scary, and what scares us still is the fear of inheriting it from our elders. Can we run from it, or do we accept it?

RELIC is a strong feature debut from James. Featuring three powerful lead performances that all bleed and break our hearts. This is a film not to be dismissed.

RELIC hits theaters and On Demand/Digital Rental on July 10th, 2020.