'Relic': Meet Emily Mortimer and the rest of the cast of this spine-chilling indie horror

Edna's rapidly evaporating memory draws her distant daughter Kay and warm granddaughter Sam to her country home when the matriarch goes missing for days
PUBLISHED JUL 10, 2020
A still from 'Relic' (IFC films)
A still from 'Relic' (IFC films)

A single look at the trailer for Natalie Erika James's debut feature horror will send a chill down the spine of anybody who has witnessed 'The Taking of Deborah Logan', or more recently, Netflix's 'The Haunting of Hill House'. Psychological thrillers have always been more terrifying than actual supernatural elements of horror, but it doesn't hurt to mingle both of them together every now and then to weave a masterpiece like James's soon-to-be-arriving saga. 



 

The synopsis reveals that 'Relic' is a tale is about "A daughter, mother and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family's home." Edna, whose memory is rapidly evaporating, goes missing, thus drawing her distant daughter Kay and warm granddaughter Sam to her country home on the hunt for the family matriarch. She returns soon, but she's not the same. Neither is the house she has lived in for ages now as her grappling mental health manifests in the form of a possessed house with labyrinthine layers. What makes the story more chilling is its stellar cast. But for all those puzzled about where you know them from, we've got you covered with the who's who.

Robyn Nevin as Edna

Nevin's Edna is petrifying in her own granny ways (IFC films)

The doyenne of Australian theatre was made a Member of the Order Of Australia for her artistic contributions in 1981. Stage-acting isn't the only profession she is prolific in, as she has also dabbled in radio and television, including current affairs, music, chat shows, and also children's' shows throughout the early 1960s. The 77-year-old former head of the Sydney Theatre Company has been married to Nicholas Hammond for 33 years. She has one daughter, called Emily Russell.

Emily Mortimer as Kay

Mortimer in 'Relic' (IFC films)

You might remember her from the 'Pink Panther' movies where she played Nicole Durant, protagonist Inspector Clouseau's love interest in both the films. Mortimer's more recent filmography includes the Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda starrer 'Mary Poppins Returns', before which the English actress and screenwriter was also known as Will's 'perfect girl' from the timeless from com, 'Notting Hill'. Mortimer has been married to actor Alessandro Nivola since 2003. The couple met on the sets of 'Love's Labour Lost' in 2000 and share two children now. 

Bella Heathcote as Sam

Heathcote as the vulnerable and warm granddaughter of a troubled grandma (IFC films)

One of Heathcote's most memorable work includes her role as Gigi in Nicholas Winding Refn's indie-noir horror 'Neon Demon' starring Elle Fanning. The Australian actress is also known for playing the governess Victoria Winters in Tim Burton's film adaptation of 'Dark Shadows' and as Jane Bennett in 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'. Her other credits include 'The Man in the High Castle', 'Fifty Shades Darker', and 'Professor Marston and the Wonder Women'.

'Relic' premiers digitally this July 10 and will be available on demand. 

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