Story: An ex-soldier, living homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. As he starts to fall for her, he cannot ignore his suspicion that something sinister is going on.
Amulet is a new horror directorial debut from Dirty Dancing Havana Nights actress Romilda Garai. She not only directed but wrote the film as well. Amulet stars Alec Secareanu (Gods Own Country) as Tomas, Carla Juri (Blade Runner 2049) as Magda and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter franchise) as Sister Claire. Now before I get into discussing the movie I must clarify that this is by far the most bizarre film I’ve seen this year. But I must admit it was a bit of a drag but I stuck it out to the very end and what an ending it was. So let’s get to it.
This story opens with Tomas, a now homeless war veteran who suffers from PTSD. It’s so bad that the poor guy has to tape himself when he sleeps. The film shifts from present day Tomas to his past where he works as a border guard which as the film goes on we learn how the events in his past haunt him in the present. In the present day the homeless shelter where Tomas was seeking refuge burns down and he is “rescued” by a sweet but odd nun Sister Claire. She offers him a place to stay in return that he fix up the place. Here’s where things get weird. The house (literally rotting) is also home to a young woman Magda, and her very very sick mother whom she keeps locked up in the attic. Now I for one wanted this to be more of a haunted house type of film and the cuts to the past then present throughout the film really took me out of the experience but it was the directors vision so I can’t blame her for her way of telling her story.
So as Tomas starts to fix things up around this creepy old house he discovers some startling things. First off, the water in the house is disgusting. He wants to fix it urgently, and when he works on the toilet he discovers what appears to be a hairless pinkish bat/rat creature. It was gruesome to look at. Magda orders him to get rid of it. Tomas learns that Magda gets abused by her mother and when he confronts her about it she defends that it’s just the way things are. She loves her mother and wants to care for her.
As the film progresses, the story itself is being told by two timelines and we see that things are not at all as they seem as we go further and deeper into this mad story. The past timeline is just as confusing but the present timeline is far more interesting and that is what held my attention the most. Romilda’s way of directing and telling her story is very odd but then again its her way of expressing it. I don’t want to ruin the ending for those who haven’t yet seen the film but fair warning you will not be ready for it. Amulet is available now to rent or own.
Here's the trailer:
Written by EscapeMyMind
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