Written and directed by Romola Garai
Starring Carla Juri, Alec Secareanu and Imelda Staunton
Running time: 1 hour and 39 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for violence, nudity and sexual assault

by Audrey Callerstrom

Between She Dies Tomorrow, Relic, The Other Lamb, Lake of Death, and many more, we have a wealth of female-directed horror right now. I hope the phrase “female-directed horror” will look outdated by the time you read this. It’s not a niche market or a novelty anymore. There are women in the world and some are filmmakers and a lot of them are bloody fantastic. Imagine if Jennifer’s Body came out today. It would kill! (I hope).

Amulet is written and directed by Romola Garai. Garai is an actress, and while press for Amulet mentions her roles in Atonement and the Emma miniseries, the rest of us might recognize her from Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Amulet, Garai’s first feature-length film, is almost entirely free of horror tropes, or easy cheats that get an audience to jolt. This is a horror film, but Garai doesn’t want us to be scared, she wants us to be curious. Where is she taking us? It’s like a friend has taken your hand and won’t tell you where you’re going. Amulet follows Tomas (Alec Secareanu, God’s Own Country), a homeless ex-soldier and aspiring student of philosophy who works for a building crew. When the building where Tomas is squatting burns down, he encounters the affable Sister Claire (Imelda Staunton), who brings him to the home of Magda (Carla Juri, Wetlands and Blade Runner 2049). Magda provides Tomas with meals and a place to stay and asks for nothing in return. Meanwhile, Magda is caring for her sick and violent mother, who is kept on the top floor and out of sight. This story is told simultaneously with flashbacks of Tomas during the war and his attempts to save and shelter a woman named Miriam, played by Dogtooth’s Angeliki Papoulia.

While not a haunted house movie, Magda’s house plays an important role in the story. Structurally, it’s beautiful, but it’s also severely in decay. The walls are peeling and every surface seems to be covered with a layer of rust. Wood rot in the walls and on the trim looks like withered, lacerated skin. Tomas insists on helping Magda around the house, chiseling away at the plaster, unclogging a toilet of black water. This isn’t a house that needs a little elbow grease; it needs to be burned down. These scenes are a strong contrast to the flashback scenes, which take place in a lush, fairy tale-like forest. Juri, so charming in Wetlands, goes through a striking transformation throughout the film. Initially, she behaves like a tired, weary, put-upon mother, speaking and moving softly. She becomes more independent and vivacious, her grey skin becoming flushed with color. The transformation is evident in, not only her look but, her posture, her physicality and her voice. Things turn bizarre and disturbing closer to the film’s end, and practical, Sam Raimi-like makeup effects and original imagery are haunting and effective.

In addition to Juri’s strong performance, Secareanu is aptly cast as a reserved, introspective loner, desperate for meaning and to be recognized as a helper. Staunton, in just a handful of scenes, gives the film its only moments of levity, playing a rather unconventional nun. Amulet is a sharp, disturbing, and original debut. The title comes from a figurine Tomas found in the forest which he carries as an amulet, or good luck charm. It’s a detail that feels tacked on last-minute, as if Garai struggled to find a title. Additionally, she directs one scene in particular in a detached, distant fashion, a moment in the film intended to be a disturbing reveal. It’s an interesting choice, and I’m not sure if it works as intended. Still, it’s a strange and satisfying debut film.

Minnesotans, we can “claim” this one, by association, as we like to – a Poliça song plays an integral role in the film.

Everyone can find where to watch Amulet here, on their official website.