'

Relic

Play trailer

2:20

Relic

R

Released Jul 10, 2020

1h 29m

Horror

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

235 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

A woman links her mother's increasingly volatile behavior to an evil presence at their family's decaying country home.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

"Relic" is the feel-dread movie of the year.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 16, 2021

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

The debut feature from writer-director Natalie Erika James functions as both an allegory and a nightmarish descent into this year's creepiest movie home.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 16, 2021

Full Review

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

The more grotesque its imagery, the more tender its twists.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 18, 2020

Full Review

Anya Stanley

Vague Visages

A haunting study of Grecian prophecies and inherited mental illness, Relic makes beasts of the mind.

Jan 8, 2024

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Its interior lacks tension or anything shocking in its cadaverous plot about dementia, loneliness and the horror of old age. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/10

Oct 17, 2023

Full Review

Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

An exceptionally well-written, genuinely sad yet realistic story about dementia and how old people are treated once they can't live by themselves anymore. Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, and Bella Heathcote all deliver exceptional performances.

Rated: B+

Jul 24, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Paul M

A smart well crafted thriller that lingers with you. Great acting, clever cinematography, and a very surprising and effective final act that will leave you asking questions. Not spectacular by any stretch but it ticks all the boxes for an atmospheric slow burn.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/14/25

Full Review

Ben J

Powerful in it's message, creepy in it's execution, great performances all round, great cinematography. As someone whose mother suffered from dementia, this hit home hard. People who don't get it, won't get it. It's not meant to be a monster/ghost flick with jump scares. It uses the genre to tell a far deeper story and it does it well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/30/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Sayang oras. Para sa mga taong mahilig sa mga slow burn horror. Ok sana siya kung natalakay man lang kung paano, sino, saan nagsimula ang lahat ng kababalaghan. Overall, mukhang metaphor ng Dementia un kababalaghan na nangyayari kay Edna.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

Full Review

David L

This movie is a metaphor for Alzheimer’s/dementia and how it wreaks havoc not only on its victim, but those close to the victim as well. Excellent horror movie, very well acted, directed, and written. There is a scene that you as the viewer almost feel confused and disoriented as well. This isn’t a slasher or jump scare movie but one that just has you feeling tense throughout. Great film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/01/24

Full Review

Fred G

Slow but a good movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/27/24

Full Review

Ulises A

This is a good movie. If dementia feels like this, then live can become a bad, oppressive dream.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Natalie Erika James

Director

Emily Mortimer

Kay

Robyn Nevin

Edna

Bella Heathcote

Sam

Chris Bunton

Jamie

Jeremy Stanford

Alex

You Won't Be Alone

93%

72%

You Won't Be Alone

Watchlist

TRAILER

for You Won't Be Alone

The Eyes of My Mother

78%

57%

The Eyes of My Mother

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Eyes of My Mother

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2020

Best-Reviewed Movies & TV 2020

Best-Reviewed Movies by Genre 2020

Relic: Trailer 1

2:20

Relic: Teaser Trailer

1:22

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

A woman links her mother's increasingly volatile behavior to an evil presence at their family's decaying country home.

Director: Natalie Erika James
Producer: Jake Gyllenhaal
Screenwriter: Natalie Erika James, Christian White
Distributor: IFC Midnight
Production Co: Nine Stories Productions, Film Victoria, Carver Films, Screen Australia, AGBO
Rating: R (Some Horror Violence|Language|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Horror, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 26, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.0M
Runtime: 1h 29m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now