This title will be available for streaming on various platforms Friday, July 10th.
Horror pictures in Australia have a long history and are often set against the backdrop of a harsh and unforgiving wilderness, with protagonists fighting of wild animals and psychotic killers. However, recent efforts like The Babadook have started to push the genre in a different direction. Relic is a new Aussie arthouse horror picture focused not on killer boars in the outback, but instead on its human characters. In this case, the shift in attention works well. The movie doesn’t function like a typical horror yarn, but maintains a consistent atmosphere of tension and dread throughout.
The story begins with Kay (Emily Mortimer) and her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) hurrying out to a small town a few hours outside Melbourne in order to check on the health of elderly family matriarch, Edna (Robyn Nevin). They arrive to find the grandmother’s creaky old house empty, along with an odd and unsettling feeling that something else might be there. Edna does eventually reappear, but her behavior is erratic and, at times, downright disturbing. Naturally, this leads to arguments between Kay and Sam about how to care for their relative. As events progress, the pair begin to notice a strange black mold forming over items in the house. They begin experiencing bizarre phenomena on the property and also discover hidden and increasingly dilapidated passageways within the home.
It’s essentially a three-character play set within a rotting house. This approach places a lot of attention on the cast members, are all excellent. Edna veers from being a sweet grandmother to threatening at a moment’s turn (and sometimes in the middle of a conversation). She may be a frail senior, but the performance, lighting, photography and editing manage to turn her into a threatening presence on several occasions. Kay and Sam also have a lot of emotions to process, as they both see, process and must contend with Edna’s declining mental state at different times. It creates plenty of drama, pushing them apart depending on who is witnessing the outburst and whether or not their claims are believed by the other.
There are also vague references to the family’s past that aren’t well remembered by the protagonists, but are visually referenced in the house itself, lending a further sense of apprehension to the proceedings. The sound design helps tremendously as the walls and floorboards creak and dark shapes are witnessed shifting around. This all builds into a memorable and unsettling climax as the moldy house begins to ensnare the family. There are some wonderful shots as the camera spins around and disorients the leads and viewers, transforming the place into a labyrinth maze of ever-growing darkness.
It’s incredibly effective, although for some the finale may leave a little to be desired. The film does eventually veer into metaphor during the climax. As a result, don’t expect a straight-forward and logical answer to burning questions about the plot or how the house itself operates. Still, the themes and ideas being addressed are abundantly clear. This is a movie about aging and the way in which sickness slowly takes our bodies and minds, resulting in tragedy. The characters are forced to react and deal with these problems in others, while seeing early hints of the condition in themselves.
So, while the movie’s denouement might not make as big of an emotional impact as intended, this is still an exceptionally well-acted, slow-burn of a chiller that keeps viewers invested from the beginning to its strange and surreal end. It is also a very controlled and self-assured first feature. Horror and movie fans in general will most certainly look forward to future projects from the filmmaker. For those who appreciate arthouse creepers, Relic certainly delivers the goods and comes recommended.