Sundance has become the de facto launching ground for numerous horrors that have achieved critical acclaim. This year, one of the top films to emerge at the festival was Relic, a haunted house story that could mark the emergence of debut director Natalie Erika James.
Relic stars Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote, and Robyn Nevin, taking place in a creaky country home where three generations of women face all sorts of spooky happenings. This may be James’ feature directorial debut, but crafting horror shorts has been her thing for years and the experience has clearly paid off.
SYNOPSIS: When elderly mother Edna (Robyn Nevin) inexplicably vanishes, her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) rush to their family’s decaying country home, finding clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence. After Edna returns just as mysteriously as she disappeared, Kay’s concern that her mother seems unwilling or unable to say where she’s been clashes with Sam’s unabashed enthusiasm to have her grandma back. As Edna’s behavior turns increasingly volatile, both begin to sense that an insidious presence in the house might be taking control of her. All three generations of women are brought together through trauma and a powerful sense of strength and loyalty to face the ultimate fear together.
Relic hits VOD and select theaters on July 10th.
