AMULET: In With A Fizzle, Out With A Bang

When room and board are free, you have to assume there’s something off about where you’re staying. Maybe someone just died there, or perhaps the water never works, or – just hear me out here – it might be that your landlord’s ill mother lives in the attic and likes to scream and spy on you through her secret little keyhole. In horror film Amulet, Romola Garai’s directorial debut, that’s merely the setup to a precipitous drop into insanity.

Amulet screened at Sundance this year to general acclaim, much of which is warranted. Particularly considering it is her first film, Garai’s quiet direction is effective and at times downright beautiful. Although marred by a slow first and second act, Amulet does provide viewers with a surprisingly satisfying ending, one that fans of modern horror like The Babadook will likely eat up. Unfortunately, a messy timeline and uneven pacing do stop Amulet short of reaching the heights it may have been otherwise destined for.

The Power of a Proper Meal

We are introduced to the world of Amulet through the eyes of Tomaz (Alec Secareanu), a former soldier haunted by something undefined. In between introspective shots of a gorgeous, desolate forest where Tomaz mans a lonely outpost, we receive glimpses of Tomaz’s modern life as a homeless man adrift in London. These two timelines, disparate at first glance, will guide the ambling journey that is Amulet.

In London, Tomaz finds purpose through Sister Claire (Imelda Staunton), a nun who introduces him to beautiful Magda (Carla Juri) and her sick mother (Anah Ruddin). Sister Claire’s solution to assuaging Tomaz’s trauma and deep-seated guilt is simple: He will provide for Magda and her mother by taking care of their ramshackle home. In exchange, Tomaz will be provided home-cooked meals and a place to sleep.

Unfortunately, Tomaz’s paranoia quickly sets in, and he begins to suspect something greater than mere illness ails Magda’s dying mother. His suspicions are complicated by a quiet, at-times awkward romance blooming between himself and Magda.

While things unfold in London, our secondary timeline focuses on Tomaz meeting Miriam (Angeliki Papoulia), a citizen separated from her daughter by the war. Though she initially fears Tomaz, Miriam is rocked into an early state of trust by Tomaz’s willingness to listen and his offer of a hot meal.

Hitting the Ground Walking…

From here, Amulet’s storyline plods along to reach surrealistic heights. It’s not entirely accurate to describe the film as a “descent into madness.” Rather, it’s a slow-moving train that goes straight off the rails in the third act.

That is not to say the first hour of the film is meritless. Thanks to Garai’s directorial vision, viewers are treated to plenty of gorgeous (and oftentimes jarring) shots. A few impressive practical effects also supply Amulet with the kind of shock value that makes a horror flick horrendously good. But outside beauty and a few mild doses of horror, much of Amulet’s early scenes fail to provide true substance.

Although the cast is talented (with Staunton and Juri as definite standouts), stilted conversations often leave Amulet’s dialogue feeling terribly stiff. This is particularly a problem between leads Tomaz and Magda, whose interactions almost exclusively involve awkward staring and one-word answers.

Of course, you could argue that the leads’ lack of chemistry fuels Amulet’s pervasive sense of being off-kilter. But that sense of peculiarity is so thorough and oppressive during the first two acts that it’s difficult to applaud the ambiance.

Worse, many scenes fail to contribute to the film’s progress at all. As is, these moments feel more like buffers for time than steps on a downward ladder.

This reviewer was especially distracted by the number of scenes involving a character approaching a door/item of interest incredibly slowly. The flaw here is indicative of Amulet’s larger problem: the trepidation this film so desperately relies on is oftentimes unearned, and leaves all escalation feeling less impactful.

… And then Taking Off

That doesn’t stop the ending from packing a stellar punch, though. Amulet plays upon expectations of the genre to craft a fascinating, explosive twist, one that subverts society’s notions of evil.

But maybe “twist” isn’t the right word. The film is saturated with unexpected plots, and we can hardly classify each and every deviation as a “twist.” Rather, this film’s ending takes a look at the history of horror and film, compiles those societal expectations (the good, the bad and definitely the ugly) and says: “Well, actually.”

A little ironic, given Tomaz’s penchant for mansplaining.

Truly, the seeds of Amulet‘s resolution exist throughout the film, in both timelines. It’s not the wild, effect-heavy side of the last ten minutes that is so impactful; it’s the way such a satisfactory resolution rarely ever comes about in film. Garai – who also wrote the script – has a clearly deft understanding of horror tropes. It’s almost as though she can hear the viewer’s thoughts, the frustrated exclamations of “Oh, come on,” that so often go ignored. In each subtle moment of downright weird in Amulet, Garai is winking at viewers and saying: “Just wait.”

Horror, which is naturally (if deceptively) primed for this kind of commentary, is the perfect background for such a conclusion. Garai knows what she’s doing.

Conclusion

Amulet is one of those films you’re best to know as little as possible about going in. Suffice to say, the film’s twist was enough to unduly excite me. Fans of horror, especially those interested in the intersection between the genre and gender, will likely revel in the places Amulet goes.

Sans its explosive third act, Amulet might fade into obscurity as one of many quiet, borderline indecipherable indie horror films in the world. As it stands, it’s an interesting entry into an evolving horror sub-genre that I wholeheartedly look forward to seeing more of. Just the same, I eagerly await Garai‘s next steps behind the camera.

What are your favorite horror films with a memorable twist at the end? Do these twists “make” the movie, or does the film stand on its own? Let us know in the comments!

Amulet will be released VOD on July 24, 2020.

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