Relic (2020) User Reviews (472)

Why this is a true horror film.

[fragglejan11 · 7/10 · 25 December 2021]

In order to feel for our characters we must understand who our characters are. The main character is the house (grandma's brain) It signifies metaphorically what is happening to this family. The house is a metaphor for dementia. The grandmother already has dementia and as we enter the house for the first time the house is in slight disarray and disrepair, there is black mold growing along the walls in spots. As the movie progresses the house deteriorates more and the black mold increases in size. These are both metaphors for dementia and what is happening to the grandmother. This dementia is genetic, which is why we see the black spot on the mother, that the daughter finds, at the end of the film. The mother is going to take responsibility for her mother (grandmother) and the daughter has accepted what is her future (caring for her mother) and has come to terms with it, therefore you have three generations of dementia patients and future patients laying on the bed together.

This is true horror, it is an ending that they know is coming to them in their life that is inescapable, they know that their future has been genetically laid out ...and there is no escape.

Disturbing, unsettling but also a little dull...

[horrorbladesreviews · 6/10 · 10 July 2020]

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.

Relish This Relic

[VVirak · 7/10 · 23 January 2022]

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.

Australian horror

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 April 2021]

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.

Oh my. What a lovely work.

[michaeljpfitzgerald · 7/10 · 11 July 2020]

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.

Had it figured out quickly...

[MagicMurderFan · 7/10 · 14 July 2020]

I'm literally going through this with a family member and it really made me think. Is this what she goes through everyday? It's scary. More of a thriller than a horror movie, but I liked it. For all the people giving it a crappy rating, for not "explaining", it was explained, it was just over your head. They stepped into what she was seeing. Every rotted piece, was another memory forgotten. The walls closing in, in her mind. The way she saw her home, now. Symbolism, people, symbolism. I wouldn't say, "it was a 10/10", but it did shine a light on the ugliness that waits for some of us.

Waste of time.

[Monolight · 4/10 · 22 July 2020]

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...

[DukeEman · 8/10 · 12 July 2020]

The Babadook (2014) had an underlining meaning of a grieving single mother's struggle in raising a child in a ruthless society, all told through a horror genre. RELIC reveals the agony of dementia in a dark and twisted atmospheric visual and audio assault of the senses in a nightmarish tone.

Kay visits her neglected mother, Edna, who has gone missing. Kay's daughter, Sam, tags along and they are greeted with an old large home, perfect for a haunting. Edna's home has a life of its own, as seen through effective dark visuals and eerie sounds that mother and daughter encounter. They also notice hints of Edna's forgetfulness with post-it note reminders around the home.

A search begins for Edna, who eventually appears after a few days, just like coming out of a stint in the prison of dementia. Edna cannot recall her whereabouts, so mother and daughter quietly put it down to the beginning of Edna's mental disintegration.

This sets the motion of conflict between mother and daughter with issues of caring and the dreaded decision making of nursing homes. Meanwhile, Edna's mental state deteriorates as she eats away at the memories of photos and buries a photo album in the forest. Just like her memories being buried by the black muck that is growing through her body.

Edna's granddaughter is confronted by the horrors of the onset of her grandmother's dementia. Confused and frustrated she investigates the dark hole of the disease and finds herself trapped in a horrid maze within the nightmare realm of the home. In actual fact, Sam has fallen into the mind of her grandmother's dementia, experiencing the state of confusion and horror of the dreaded disease while fighting through scattered dead memories boxed up in the thin corridors of memories.

Kay has been observing Edna's onset of dementia in a silent stupor. Eventually she is forced to act in order to not only save her daughter, but Edna from self-harming. Mother and daughter manage to fight through the confronting maze of dementia, only to see Edna succumb to it and become an unrecognisable empty shell, similar to a monster. Kay is unable to walk away from it and accepts the outcome of Edna's now full-blown dementia.

Sam does not recognise her grandmother anymore, as is the effect of the disease. But what Sam discovers is the dark murky stain that was growing on her grandmother's body has now appeared on her mother, stating that this disease is hereditary, which is the real horror to this tale!

RELIC is a journey through the mindset of dementia, not only for the victim but for the loved ones coming to terms with it. All this delivered in a highly intelligent and subliminal work of perfect filmmaking.

This was a nice surprise.

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 2 August 2021]

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!

Grandma gone crazy again

[carsonkrattiger · 5/10 · 18 October 2020]

It's a metaphor for dementia, but as a die-hard Horror fan, it's missing what I crave: unsettling atmosphere, chilling imagery, well-executed scares (if necessary to story and style), and a true sense of dread. I never felt any sense of peril and I found myself not really caring about the characters, despite how well-acted they are. If strong female performances is what you crave, go for it. But for Horror fans, I'd say skip it.

Perfect Film About Dementia that Runs In Families

[brigid222 · 10/10 · 15 March 2021]

This film absolutely chilled me to the bone. Not because it is scary or full of moments where you jump out of your seat but because it is such a perfect representation of what dementia is like. If you've ever had a loved one suffer and have watched them slowly turn into someone they aren't, you will truly understand this film. It is also terrifying when you think about how it runs in families and how the movie ends. The absolute horror of realizing that what is happening to your loved one very well could happen to you because it is genetic. The scene where the grand daughter is trapped in the walls of the house disoriented and confused trying to find her way out is a perfect way to describe the terror that goes along with dementia. This film was superb. If you enjoyed the film Babadook, you'll probably love this because you understand what the film is trying to tell you. The Babadook is about grief and how it can turn someone into a monster, this film is about dementia and how it can turn someone into a shriveled up monster like version of what they once were. Plenty of creepy moments, unsettling at times but unless you've watched someone suffer you probably won't understand this film. Pay no mind to the negative reviews for they did not understand this film, this film wasn't made for them it was made for those who have lived through the familial trauma that is Alzheimer's and dementia. Horror can be a perfect genre to explain the ultimate horror of a real life situation like dementia. It is done so in a way that really makes you think. That last scene really put it over the top for me. As someone who once worked in memory care units and watched people turn into husks, I can tell you the ending is incredible. The mother and daughter have totally different reactions for a reason. The daughter realizes in that last moment of the film that she is going to have to go through this all over again with her mother, as horrifying as it was, she will have to be there for her and hope someone will be there for her if it in fact is passed on and she inherits it herself. The black stuff everywhere is the disease. It represents the emptiness that follows and the confusion. It is dark and ugly, just like the disease. I cannot give this film enough props. The creature at the end that comes out of the grandmother looks amazing. Super scary but at the same time sad. This film would be great to show to a nursing class that is studying genetic, familial Alzheimer's and dementia. They even explain that the property on the house that used to be there was the grandmothers father, and that he wasn't properly cared for and died alone and confused. Even though the grandmother tore that cabin down she kept a piece of it and put it in the house. That window represents the genetic component. It was stained, it was tainted, much like their genes. I absolutely loved this film. I cannot even begin to explain how perfect it actually is.

A solid directorial debut. Give it a shot it is worth your time.

[cameronhatch · 7/10 · 10 July 2020]

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.

A short recap

[momcilo-korea · 1/10 · 17 July 2020]

Granma gets lost in the woods. Daughter looks for her. Granma comes back after 3 days. Absolutely nothing happenes next 2 weeks. Granddaughter drops LSD and start tripping in the house. Granma attacks everyone with a knife but gets her ass kicked instead. Daughter forgets about the bad LSD trip instantly and acts like nothing happened. Granma turns into an alien mummy. Everybody fall asleep because it was a busy day. Still better than the Last Jedi.

an imaginative directorial debut

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 9 July 2020]

Greetings again from the darkness. Anyone who has a friend or relative afflicted with dementia knows it's often like living in a real life horror film. It's frustrating and claustrophobic and guilt-inducing and above all, frightening. The first feature film from director Natalie Erika James deals with dementia, amongst other topics, in the guise of a horror film. Is it a haunted house movie? Is it a demonic presence movie? Well, yes to both. The script from Ms. James and Christian White blends multiple familiar aspects of horror films into something that ends up quite original.

"Ends up" is the key, because the first two-thirds of the story moves slower than a glacier in the middle of winter. Don't get me wrong, the film looks great - the house and the atmosphere are ultra-creepy. It's just that almost nothing happens during that span, and that's an eternity for set up. Kay (Emily Mortimer) receives a call that a neighbor hasn't seen her mother in a while. Kay and her 20ish daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, 2016) take the drive over the hills and through the woods to grandmother's house. Their initial measured walk-thru of the house tells them (and us) much. Post-it notes are stuck everywhere, including one that says "Don't follow it". Spoiled fruit on the counter, a favorite chair moved, and food for a pet long ago passed, are all indicators that something is off. If that's not enough, the house that grandma is missing from has mold on the walls and ceiling, and strange locks on doors.

After an unsuccessful search party through the nearby woods, Grandma Edna (Robyn Nevin) reappears with no recollection of where she's been. Of course, this doesn't really improve things for anyone. We sense that workaholic Kay and her mother have never really been close, and the same can be said for Kay and Sam. Generational disconnect is on display. And poor Edna has lost her husband, her pet dog, and most of her essence ... except for the few moments when she snaps back to lucidity.

Dread and impending doom dominate every scene for the first hour. Kay has dreams of an old cabin from her past, and Edna has an unexplained bruise on her chest. The stained glass window on the front door is a key, and the sounds coming from the walls are unable to be tracked down. As disoriented as Edna is, the house itself has that impact on us and Sam. Is it the house that's haunted, or the characters?

The cinematography from Charlie Sarroff plays well off the stillness and unknown, and the sound design and music (Brian Reitzell) work hand-in-hand in establishing the creepy atmosphere. The three actresses are superb, and I especially enjoyed Ms. Nevin and her piercing eyes, as she is known mostly for her live theatre work (and also as Councillor Dillard in The Matrix movies). For her first feature, Ms. James has delivered a high-concept Australian horror/suspense film with a very original (and weird) ending. Others may be a bit higher on the film, but we likely all agree that Ms. James is an intriguing filmmaker.

let's visit gran

[trashgang · 7/10 · 20 July 2020]

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

Where have you been Grandma?

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 7 February 2021]

Think of this like a crock pot, not a pressure cooker. An elderly mother completely vanishes and her daughter and granddaughter rush to the decaying country home. They find no clues, but evidence of the elderly woman's dementia scattered about. Grandmother mysteriously returns , but is unwilling to share where she has been. Wait for it; the plot simmers and has you gripped in suspense until all hell breaks loose in the final twenty minutes or so. Robyn Nevin, Bella Heathcote and Emily Mortimer hold your interest in this long winded chiller.

Waste of Time...

[charlesmwest · 1/10 · 18 July 2020]

I normally don't write reviews, but I had to on this one. Though it was shot well, it was super slow and ended with a WTH moment. I would have been better off playing online games. Not sure how movies like this keep getting funded???

Don't waste your money or time!!

Slow build with character and an emotional climax

[neunomad · 7/10 · 11 July 2020]

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.

30 minutes is all could take

[jpjhnsn-82380 · 1/10 · 22 April 2021]

Like others I saw the great reviews so I thought I'd checked it out. I could barely see it, did they use any lighting?

After reading some of Great reviews I guess they were from the Directors family and friends?

Great cast, waste of time.

Very unique horror, I had to shut it off.

[emailme123 · 8/10 · 23 July 2020]

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.

Empathize the feelings of family members with dementia

[inanc-gumus · 6/10 · 16 July 2020]

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.

Last 15 minutes

[didemozturk · 1/10 · 7 August 2020]

You may just watch the last 15 minutes of the film.Even those 15 minutes will bore you death.

Drama not horror

[mageh · 6/10 · 10 July 2020]

The story in this movie is allegory to mental disease such as dementia or Alzheimer's. Dealing with a family member that "transforms" from a person you knew your whole life into "a creature" that doesn't remember its own name IS a horror in real life. So although idea of this movie is not bad, the execution could be better. I agree with others: it is too slow and dull. And, no, it is not really a horror flick, i am sure many horror fans will agree. I still recommend it for home viewing. Another spoiler: the fact that they show three generations of women in the same family kind of suggest that disease is hereditary (like Alzheimer's), that is why in the end the daughter has a black spot too, meaning it will happen to her like it did to her parents.

Not A Paranormal Horror. One Much Worse.

[mf2812 · 7/10 · 6 November 2020]

Just wanted to write a simple review for this movie. It was well cast and the acting was on par.

The ending seems to be the most confusing or controversial part of this movie but in my opinion, when it's striped down (no pun intended) is that it's simply a case of this horrible disease of dementia/Alzheimer's that leaves the mother on one side and the daughter and granddaughter completely devastated by simply not knowing anything about what it is they'd known or loved about this person or "thing" to put it more crudely, but probably more on point.

It's always going to be hard to fit in dementia as a story to be used for common tropes in horror in the original "horror" sense, but the the truth is that this disease is worse than anything paranormal that could possibly happen. It's devastating.

Well done to the first time director and the cinematography was beautiful. I look forward to to seeing more.

Well shot movie but poor script...

[BeerLover_ · 6/10 · 13 August 2020]

The atmosphere is really creepy and slow to be honest, and I love those elements in movies when they're executed well, which in this case they were. Great acting by the actresses too. 6 stars for these aspects.

I got problem with the script though. What was the point of the young girl getting in that maze in the house? Did she entered the mind of the old lady? Did she experienced her dementia? I really didn't get the point of that scene. And I'm singling this scene out because it is a crucial scene in the movie that actually lost me at the end.

Also what was the point of picturing dementia as making old people creepy charred evil demons? To me, none. It actually made me laugh.

Nothing more than a thriller drama. Not even passable as a horror.