478 reviews
Disturbing, unsettling but also a little dull...
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.
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.
- horrorbladesreviews
- Jul 9, 2020
- Permalink
Why this is a true horror film.
- fragglejan11
- Dec 24, 2021
- Permalink
Relish This Relic
Another quality entry from a 21st century Australian filmmaker, it's a film which horror I don't think most young people can experience or recognize properly, because it gets real with age, and, as you grow older, it creeps into you as some sort of inheritance, a legacy where you find yourself thinking of dying not in those romantic terms where you'd decide your own fate, but in terms of personal diminishing and gradual demise as, next in line for it, you slowly but surely creep towards your own death. "Relic" is drama-first, horror-second, yet that doesn't spoil its genre effectiveness. The three women portraying the three generations within the same family are all great and, even more importantly - relatable. With so many movies right now having these perplexingly high metascore marks, "Relic" is the one where I actually think its rating is highly unfair. My bet is it'll age gracefully.
Oh my. What a lovely work.
It's so rare that anyone uses the horror genre to tell you something you needed to know about life. I'm absolutely overwhelmed at how elegantly this film horrified me, how totally it drew me in, and the *work* being done by the cast.
A really beautiful, touching, absolutely terrifying movie, that hit me across nearly every note. My gosh. Worth a watch.
A really beautiful, touching, absolutely terrifying movie, that hit me across nearly every note. My gosh. Worth a watch.
- michaeljpfitzgerald
- Jul 10, 2020
- Permalink
Australian horror
Kay (Emily Mortimer) and her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) arrive to check on her mother Edna (Robyn Nevin) who has been responding to police checks. They find Edna in a disturbed state and slowly deteriorating.
This is a slow moody Australian horror. It's a little slow in the first half. Basically, this is tapping into the senior with dementia idea. The movie could do more with it earlier. Some of the photo album stuff can be done sooner. This needs to do more and faster. It does get to an interesting place and I like the ending. This is not the scariest horror but it's interesting.
This is a slow moody Australian horror. It's a little slow in the first half. Basically, this is tapping into the senior with dementia idea. The movie could do more with it earlier. Some of the photo album stuff can be done sooner. This needs to do more and faster. It does get to an interesting place and I like the ending. This is not the scariest horror but it's interesting.
- SnoopyStyle
- Mar 31, 2021
- Permalink
Had it figured out quickly...
- MagicMurderFan
- Jul 13, 2020
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Waste of time.
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.
The horrors of dementia and the meaning to it all...
A solid directorial debut. Give it a shot it is worth your 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.
- cameronhatch
- Jul 9, 2020
- Permalink
A short recap
- momcilo-korea
- Jul 16, 2020
- Permalink
Perfect Film About Dementia that Runs In Families
This was a nice surprise.
This Australian horror never ceased to amaze me. The film started off very mysterious and rather spooky. As with so many horror films, I expected the mystery to subside by the second act, but it remained mysterious and creepy for the entire movie. It's been a while since I've experienced a movie like this.
Kay is asked to check up on her mother, Edna, who lives alone in a big house in the countryside, and haven't been seen in a few days. Kay's daughter, Sam, accompanies her. From the onset it is clear things are not what they seem. When Edna suddenly reappears, things get even creepier and more mysterious. Robyn Nevin is fantastic as Edna. Edna clearly has dementia, but there's something far more sinister going on ... or is there?
Bloody hell, this film was so much better than expected. Some moments - especially during the final act - will have you cringe in your seat. The effects were never over the top, but ever so effective. Wow, this was good - and also somewhat disturbing. Great ending!
Kay is asked to check up on her mother, Edna, who lives alone in a big house in the countryside, and haven't been seen in a few days. Kay's daughter, Sam, accompanies her. From the onset it is clear things are not what they seem. When Edna suddenly reappears, things get even creepier and more mysterious. Robyn Nevin is fantastic as Edna. Edna clearly has dementia, but there's something far more sinister going on ... or is there?
Bloody hell, this film was so much better than expected. Some moments - especially during the final act - will have you cringe in your seat. The effects were never over the top, but ever so effective. Wow, this was good - and also somewhat disturbing. Great ending!
- paulclaassen
- Aug 1, 2021
- Permalink
Grandma gone crazy again
- carsonkrattiger
- Oct 17, 2020
- Permalink
an imaginative directorial debut
- ferguson-6
- Jul 8, 2020
- Permalink
let's visit gran
I went into this flick not knowing anything about it except that is was classified as a horror. You need to watch it until the last minutes to really know what is happening.
It's the kind of flick that needs it from the creepy and eerie atmosphere done with the sound and the house itself. When gan is missing mother and daughter are out to find gran. And they do but something is wrong with her. Nothing is explained but it worked out fine as this is a directorial debut.
Effects at the end are just on the edge of gore.
If you like creepy horrors in stead of slashers then this is worth picking up. Slow builder but it do delivers.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5
It's the kind of flick that needs it from the creepy and eerie atmosphere done with the sound and the house itself. When gan is missing mother and daughter are out to find gran. And they do but something is wrong with her. Nothing is explained but it worked out fine as this is a directorial debut.
Effects at the end are just on the edge of gore.
If you like creepy horrors in stead of slashers then this is worth picking up. Slow builder but it do delivers.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5
Not A Paranormal Horror. One Much Worse.
6/10?!? are you kidding?!
I wasted 90 minutes watching this trash, the actors were not bad but the movie is completely garbage, very slow and boring, from the start to the end you understand nothing, it's supposed to be a horror movie but its a boring drama filmed in darkness
- ahmadna1994
- Feb 27, 2021
- Permalink
Drama not horror
Should've just been a short indie horror game
To start off, I've read a lot of good reviews about this movie, so I was hopeful that it would be a promising first movie by a new director, but it's just......eh. Twenty minutes in and I wanted to watch the movie sped up, it felt slow and nothing was really happening, I think that it was trying to go for a slow build-up but it just didn't work for me. I didn't care about the characters, I knew little to nothing about the "ghost" or whatever the whole black ash stuff was, and there was really nothing new or unique about this movie, sorry that this seems harsh but I felt like I watched a live-action version of a run-of-the-mill indie horror game. The dream sequences felt like they meant nothing and they were just repeats of the same thing, a cabin in the woods, a glass window, and the grandmother. I'm just disappointed and confused about how this movie I wasted money on got so much praise.
It would've been fine as a short, indie, horror game, whispering voices, a few jump scares, and a few "TURN BACK" notes, and then an ending with a jumpscare. I get that it's supposed to also be a metaphor for Alzheimer's but I didn't really get to know the grandmothers past enough to feel bad for her memory loss, no flashbacks, pictures, or videos. I completely think that this movie would've been better off being a drama about a woman and her daughter dealing with the grandmother's Alzheimers instead of this weird supernatural mess. A good example of a movie that was able to perfectly do family drama and horror is "Hereditary", there were enough arguments and somber moments to keep your attention as a family drama and there were enough creepy moments to keep you interested in how the horror was going to play out. However, hereditary is a movie that took a lot of detail, money, and had a lot more behind it than this movie probably had, no offense of course.
But the director didn't use what they had to their best ability. On a positive note, I did think that there was one good emotional moment that displayed Alzheimer's, and I kind of liked the last scene in the movie even if I didn't understand what the hell it meant. But in the end, skip this one, keep your money, or watch a better movie instead.
It would've been fine as a short, indie, horror game, whispering voices, a few jump scares, and a few "TURN BACK" notes, and then an ending with a jumpscare. I get that it's supposed to also be a metaphor for Alzheimer's but I didn't really get to know the grandmothers past enough to feel bad for her memory loss, no flashbacks, pictures, or videos. I completely think that this movie would've been better off being a drama about a woman and her daughter dealing with the grandmother's Alzheimers instead of this weird supernatural mess. A good example of a movie that was able to perfectly do family drama and horror is "Hereditary", there were enough arguments and somber moments to keep your attention as a family drama and there were enough creepy moments to keep you interested in how the horror was going to play out. However, hereditary is a movie that took a lot of detail, money, and had a lot more behind it than this movie probably had, no offense of course.
But the director didn't use what they had to their best ability. On a positive note, I did think that there was one good emotional moment that displayed Alzheimer's, and I kind of liked the last scene in the movie even if I didn't understand what the hell it meant. But in the end, skip this one, keep your money, or watch a better movie instead.
- missamatullah
- Jul 9, 2020
- Permalink
Very unique horror, I had to shut it off.
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.
- emailme123
- Jul 22, 2020
- Permalink
Slow build with character and an emotional climax
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.
Another attempt that ends in nothing
Here we go again....Another attempt of a slow burn horror but the only thing that burnt out was my patience. I mean it's one thing if after all the build up made suspense we would actually get some genuine scares but here it is just not there. Nothing, Nada, not a single moment of fear.
At the end of the day the movie can look good, have fine actors and possess a decent story but it would be nothing without the actually horror which turns out to be the title of the genre.
Avoid.
At the end of the day the movie can look good, have fine actors and possess a decent story but it would be nothing without the actually horror which turns out to be the title of the genre.
Avoid.
- arabnikita
- Jul 9, 2020
- Permalink
Empathize the feelings of family members with dementia
The movie is good in the sense that it makes you feel how does it to have a family member who has dementia illness, alzheimer.
The movie depicts the feelings of being lost, and helplessness in the face of an illness that can turn a person into something else, to a different person. And it also teaches you to deal with it, you need to embrace it.
Good visual scenes, and sound effects. Normally, I don't like movies like this but I liked this one.
The movie depicts the feelings of being lost, and helplessness in the face of an illness that can turn a person into something else, to a different person. And it also teaches you to deal with it, you need to embrace it.
Good visual scenes, and sound effects. Normally, I don't like movies like this but I liked this one.
- inanc-gumus
- Jul 15, 2020
- Permalink
Where have you been Grandma?
- michaelRokeefe
- Feb 6, 2021
- Permalink
Frightenly Realistic
Definitely one of the better slow burn horror flicks out there. The cast in this one did amazing.
- kyleallencole9
- Jul 10, 2020
- Permalink