This
titular figurine is said to be either a harbinger of evil or a protection
against it. Perhaps that makes it the perfect artifact to come into the
possession of a philosophy post-grad like Tomaz. He could ponder its meaning
and essence through several schools of thought, but he hasn’t pursued his
studies in years. Instead, he lives in self-imposed hand-to-mouth exile on the
mean streets of London. When he is suddenly offered permanent room-and-board,
it comes with a sinister catch in Romola Garai’s Amulet, which screened during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Tomaz’s
war is never explicitly identified, but it bears a strong resemblance to the
Balkan War. Regardless, he suffers from some debilitating PTSD and is perhaps
justly tormented by overwhelming guilt. Even though his is an egghead academic,
Tomaz is surprisingly handy, so a rather chipper nun offers him a deal. He
should stay with the socially stunted Magda and her unseen invalid mother, paying
for his keep by fixing up the decrepit house.
Although
Tomaz nearly leaves several times, concern for Magda’s well-being and a taste
for her cooking keep him coming back. Although she keeps her dying mother
out-of-sight, Tomaz can tell there is something profoundly off about her,
judging from the bite marks on Magda and the sounds of violent altercations.
She is more than your average mad woman in the attic.
Amulet is a seriously
confounding film. Garai (the thesp best-known for classy historical dramas,
like The Hour and Atonement) creates a vibe of creeping
dread as well as anyone. This film has a real tactile, textured feel. You can
practically smell the dry rot. However, when the big revelations come, instead
of shock and awe they produce moments of “wait, what happened” befuddlement.
Just when you think you understand the evil designs, she adds weird coda to
re-obscure any sense of viewer clarity.
That
is definitely a problem, especially considering how challenging it is to slog
through the deliberately slow and excessively fragmented first act. Yes, it
then comes together, only spin out into left field once again.
Nevertheless,
Imelda Staunton still might be worth the price of admission as the flamboyant
nun. She chews the scenery, swings for the fences, and generally upstages
everyone and everything in this film. Seriously, it could very well be the best
horror movie performance of the year, by the standards of both critics and fans
alike.
In
contrast, Alec Secareanu is so moody and tightly wound playing Tomaz, he could
give you a stress headache just watching him. Weirdly, Carla Juri is
appropriately mousy as Magda, because that lets her sort of sneak up on the
audience. Of course, Staunton isn’t sneaking up on anyone, but she certainly
drops a surprise or two.
Amulet was somewhat
divisive among midnight regulars this year, for obvious reasons. Maybe another
session in the editing bay would have tightened and clarified things better.
There is great atmosphere and terrific performances here, but there are also
issues of pace and logical consistency. It is good enough to inspire curiosity
about Garai’s next horror outing, but its flaws are nagging. Earning a mixed
review, Amulet is sure to have a lot
genre festival life ahead of it, following its screenings at this year’s
Sundance.
