Relic (2020 film)
| Relic | |
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 Official promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Natalie Erika James |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Charlie Sarroff |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Brian Reitzell |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 89 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.1 million[2][3] |
Relic is a 2020 Australian horror drama film directed by Natalie Erika James in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by James and Christian White. It stars Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin and Bella Heathcote. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020, and was released on July 3, 2020 in the United States by IFC Midnight, and July 10 in Australia on streaming service Stan.[4]
Plot
When Edna, the elderly and widowed matriarch of the family, goes missing, her daughter Kay and granddaughter Sam travel to their remote family home to find her. Soon after her return, they start to discover a sinister presence haunting the house and taking control of Edna.
Cast
- Emily Mortimer as Kay
- Robyn Nevin as Edna
- Bella Heathcote as Sam
- Chris Bunton as Jamie
- Jeremy Stanford as Alex
- Steve Rodgers as Constable Mike Adler
Production
In October 2018, Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin and Bella Heathcote joined the cast of the film with Natalie Erika James directing from a screenplay she co-wrote alongside Christian White. Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker served as producers on the film, while Anthony Russo and Joe Russo served as executive producers under their Nine Stories Productions and AGBO banners, respectively.[5]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020.[6] Shortly after, IFC Midnight acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[7] It was released on July 3, 2020 in the United States.[8][9]
Reception
Box office
Relic grossed $192,352 from 69 theaters in its opening weekend, finishing first among reported films.[10] It then made $195,674 from 128 theaters in its second weekend.[11]
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 142 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Relic ratchets up its slowly building tension in an expertly crafted atmosphere of dread, adding up to an outstanding feature debut for director/co-writer Natalie Erika James."[12] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]
Justin Chang, speaking on Fresh Air, said: "There are no shocking twists or contrivances in store in Relic, and not a lot of gore, either. James excels at mining dread and tension from ordinary conversation, and she uses thriller conventions to get at something simple but shattering: the horror of watching a parent slowly deteriorate."[14]
References
- ^ "Relic". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ "Relic (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "Relic (2020)". The Numbers. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ Troncoso, Guillermo (June 18, 2020). "Acclaimed Horror Movie 'Relic' to Be Released in Australia as Stan Original". Screen Realm. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 2, 2018). "'Relic': Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin & Bella Heathcote To Star In Horror Pic; AGBO Boards To Co-Finance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (March 10, 2020). "IFC Midnight Lands Sundance & SXSW Thriller 'Relic'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Lindahl, Chris (June 17, 2020). "Drive-In Theaters Get a One-Week Exclusive on IFC Films' 'Relic' July 4th Weekend". IndieWire. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ "Relic". IFC Films. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ "Weekend Domestic Chart for July 3, 2020". The Numbers. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ "Domestic 2020 Weekend 28 – June 10-12". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ "Relic (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ "Relic Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ "Terrific New Thrillers 'Amulet' And 'Relic' Explore Terrors Lurking Within The Home". NPR.org. 2020-07-24. Retrieved July 28, 2020.