One of the most buzzed-about genre entries at Sundance this year was Relic, writer-director Natalie Erika James‘ horror film about three generations of women dealing with something potentially supernatural. If that sounds vague, that’s intentional – this is clearly being set-up as one of those “the less you know about, the more surprised you’ll be” movies. Watch the Relic trailer below.

Relic Trailer

I saw a lot of movies at Sundance this year (back in the good old days when I actually left my house to travel to film festivals), but I never managed to find time to catch Relic. And I’ve regretted it ever since, because everyone I talked to at the fest who saw it couldn’t stop raving about it. Luckily for me – and you – Relic will be available to all soon.

In Relic, “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.”

Described as a “fresh and terrifying twist on the notorious haunted-house tale,” Relic was written by Natalie Erika James (who also directs) and Christian White. It was also executive produced by the Russo Brothers, along with Mike Larocca, Todd Makurath, Wang Zhongjun, Wang Zhonglei, and Hu Junyi, and produced by Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Riva Marker

Look for Relic on July 10 in theaters (maybe?) and also available On Demand and on Digital Rental.

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