Stars: Carla Juri, Alec Secareanu, Angeliki Papoulia, Imelda Staunton, Anah Ruddin | Written and Directed by Romola Garai
Actor Romola Garai debuts as writer-director with Amulet, a creepy, slow building horror starring Alec Secareanu and Imelda Staunton. Stylish and unsettling, it marks out Garai as a horror talent to watch.
Right from the start, Garai plays interesting games with the audience, as we’re introduced to Secareanu’s Tomaz in two different time periods. In the first, as a younger man, he’s the soul guardian of a remote military checkpoint somewhere in Eastern Europe, where he’s startled by the arrival of a terrified woman (Angeliki Papoulia) and tries to console her with a mysterious amulet he finds in the ground.
In the second time period, a now older Tomaz is working as a day labourer in London and sleeping in a refugee shelter. When his accommodation is targeted by an arson attack,...
Actor Romola Garai debuts as writer-director with Amulet, a creepy, slow building horror starring Alec Secareanu and Imelda Staunton. Stylish and unsettling, it marks out Garai as a horror talent to watch.
Right from the start, Garai plays interesting games with the audience, as we’re introduced to Secareanu’s Tomaz in two different time periods. In the first, as a younger man, he’s the soul guardian of a remote military checkpoint somewhere in Eastern Europe, where he’s startled by the arrival of a terrified woman (Angeliki Papoulia) and tries to console her with a mysterious amulet he finds in the ground.
In the second time period, a now older Tomaz is working as a day labourer in London and sleeping in a refugee shelter. When his accommodation is targeted by an arson attack,...
- 8/19/2020
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
In her Sundance review, Heather Wixson wrote that writer/director Romola Garai's Amulet is "...somber, heartwarming, repulsive, jaw-dropping, and has an acerbic sense of humor at times..." If you missed it on the festival circuit, you can soon experience it from the comfort (and safety) of your own home, as Amulet is coming to DVD and On Demand this October from Magnolia Home Entertainment's Magnet label.
Special features for the Amulet home media release have yet to be revealed, but you can mark your calendars for an October 20th DVD and On Demand release. We have the official synopsis and trailer below, and in case you missed it, check out an exclusive clip from the film.
"Amulet follows Tomaz, a former soldier who is left homeless after an accident, as he takes refuge in the decaying home of Magda, a lonely young woman in desperate need of help...
Special features for the Amulet home media release have yet to be revealed, but you can mark your calendars for an October 20th DVD and On Demand release. We have the official synopsis and trailer below, and in case you missed it, check out an exclusive clip from the film.
"Amulet follows Tomaz, a former soldier who is left homeless after an accident, as he takes refuge in the decaying home of Magda, a lonely young woman in desperate need of help...
- 8/5/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Actress Romola Garai makes a distinctive feature directorial debut with “Amulet,” even if this upscale horror drama is ultimately more impressive in the realm of style than substance. It’s some style, though: She hasn’t just created a stylish potboiler, but a densely textured piece that makes for a truly arresting viewing experience to a point. A shame then that the film succumbs somewhat to the more pretentious and silly aspects of Garai’s initially cryptic puzzle of a script.
“Amulet” is definitely the kind of joint that will irk mainstream genre fans for being too “arty,” and for not pouring on the kills or gore (though neither are entirely lacking). Still, more adventurous types will grok the distinctive vision on display in this split-level narrative of terrors bred by both war and more unearthly evils.
It takes a while before we get our basic bearings in the early going,...
“Amulet” is definitely the kind of joint that will irk mainstream genre fans for being too “arty,” and for not pouring on the kills or gore (though neither are entirely lacking). Still, more adventurous types will grok the distinctive vision on display in this split-level narrative of terrors bred by both war and more unearthly evils.
It takes a while before we get our basic bearings in the early going,...
- 1/28/2020
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Nothing ever good was hidden up in an attic, and kudos to first-time director Romola Garai for cheekily making mention of the woman who lives on “the top floor” (no attics here!) before unspooling the terror of her “Amulet.” At once a haunted-house thriller and an examination of the cost of trauma, the actress-turned-filmmaker approaches her debut with both a clear understanding of genre tropes and an ability to use them for satisfying dramatic ends. It’s an impressive first feature, and while fans of zippy midnight movies might balk at its slow-burn opening act, the film eventually
Crafted around a simple conceit — a former soldier returns to an unstable life in the city and is eventually tapped to assist a struggling mother and daughter in their creaky rowhouse, the kind that holds plenty of secrets — Garai, who also wrote the film’s script, uses her horror bonafides to sneak...
Crafted around a simple conceit — a former soldier returns to an unstable life in the city and is eventually tapped to assist a struggling mother and daughter in their creaky rowhouse, the kind that holds plenty of secrets — Garai, who also wrote the film’s script, uses her horror bonafides to sneak...
- 1/27/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.