‘Relic’ is an atmospheric horror film that successfully relies on a slow burn in telling the story of mental deterioration and how if can affect people. With a focus on three generations, Kay and her daughter Sam arrive at Kay’s mothers, Edna’s, house. Edna has been missing for a few days and her daughter returns to look for her. After searching and cooperating with the police, Sam and Kay stay at Edna’s house, only to discover it to be falling into disrepair due to mould. After some time Edna reappears, unable to recollect her whereabouts. The story progresses to reveal her belief in being tormented by an unseen force, with Kay and Sam resigning to the notion that Edna’s mental state is deteriorating due to her age.
The film is very much based in establishing a grim atmosphere through creative character interplay that reveals a darkness amongst the family members. The poignant through behind the bleak mood that has been successfully created in ‘Relic’ is very much the distance between family members. As can be seen between Kay and Sam, even though they are mother and daughter, they have not spent time together recently and possibly harbour resentment towards each other. The same distance can be felt between Kay and Edna upon her return, with both exchanging few words and sharing no physical contact.
The main discussion in ‘Relic’ is that of mental deterioration. Even though there are numerous visual clues throughout the film leading the audience to believe Edna is tormented by some malevolent force, Sam and Kay’s response to Ednas actions swiftly pulls the viewer back to reality. Forcing us to face the harsh reality of what it entails, emotionally and physically, to accept what is happening to a loved one due to old age, makes ‘Relic’ one of the most effective horror films in instilling a true sense of dread.
We’re not just asked to feel for Kay and Sam as they witness slowly losing Edna, but we’re invited to suffer in their fear as they watch someone they love transform into an unrecognisable being. The theme of this anxiety is further explored as the mother and daughter have to come to terms in realising that the same fate will ultimately befall them as well. Dealing with mental illness and deterioration is not a foreign concept to film, but delving into the fear that others face in coming to terms with it through horror is an excellent way of exploring this idea.
The director of ‘Relic’, Natalie Erika James, has done an outstanding job in creating a horrifying movie through allowing the audience to live through what Kay and Sam are faced with. Without relying on jump-scares or unnecessarily loud mood setting sound, ‘Relic’ instils fright through the horrors of reality though an intimately told story of fear, loss and acceptance.
‘Relic’ successfully combines numerous sets that vastly vary in their tone, namely the picturesque surroundings of Edna’s house to the claustrophobic, cluttered and grimy maze that exists within. The cinematography, led by Charlie Sarroff, wonderfully complements the idea behind the film, in that it visually accentuates the mental downfall of Edna through truly fear inducing surroundings.
‘Relic’ greatly benefits from a strong cast that successfully navigate the horrifying yet intimate story. Emily Mortimer portrays Kay, and successfully manages a journey of fear and anxiety, as she worries about her mothers disappearance. Mortimer also successfully depicts the subtle shift to her own fear about succumbing to the same ailments as Edna. Her story concludes with a resolution of her anxiety towards mental illness as she lays her mother to rest, and accepting that she will one day have to face that same fate.
Robyn Nevin plays Edna, a woman lost in her own mind trying to adapt to a world changing around her. Nevin executes the role of Edna wonderfully in allowing the audience to live though her fear with her. Nevin plays Edna in such a way that the viewing audience can sympathise with her in both believing that there is a ‘dark force’ tormenting her, or that she is suffering from mental illness.
Bella Heathcote plays Sam, the youngest of the trio. Without knowing much about the character, Heathcote portrays Sam in a way that allows the viewer to understand the tension between her and Kay, that maybe her life hasn’t worked out as she had planned and that she does harbour strong feelings for her grandmother. Overall, Heathcote provides another perspective on dealing with a loved one that is suffering from mental illness.
The film is an excellent insight into coping with the tragedies of mental illness and it works well as a horror movie. Horror movies often get a bad rap for being too reliant on jump-scares and accompanied by poor writing. ‘Relic’ should be viewed not only as an effective horror movie, but just an excellent movie, as the story is clear and poignant and successfully supported by a great cast and a unique visual style.
Score: 4/4
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