We start off fresh and supple and plump, then we rot in a way that is both repulsive and sad. We live in wandering buildings made out of meat waiting to spoil, entire rooms full of the clutter that were our lives, dealing with the asphyxiating quality of our remaining time closing in on us, the rats inside our walls always gnawing at the wiring. The only question is if the attic or the foundations will go first.

Natalie Erika James' Relic takes that knowledge and smudges it across the screen at an imperceptible creep. For most of its 90 minute run, the ugliest image she shows you is an old lady brushing her teeth, or staring back, or picking at herself. It still unsettles, making you wonder if you should have called more often or lived closer as you push yourself back into the seat without noticing. It's The Babadook for anyone who has even contemplated caring for an elderly relative.

#horror #robynnevin #emilymortimer #bellaheathcote #natalieerikajames