Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from writer/director Romola Garai and Magnet Releasing is a thriller and chiller of a story that comes with an AMULET.

Tomaz (Alec Secareanu) is a homeless soldier living in the streets of London after running away from his home country. Burned out of there living space with the other immigrants, he is taken in by Sister Claire (Imelda Staunton) who finds his personal affects. She offers him a position in the house of young Magda (Carla Juri) and her ill Mother (Anah Ruddin). Sister Claire tells Tomaz that the family needs help with the house and he agrees.

The problem is that there is something very wrong in this house. Magda is a sweet young woman who cooks and takes care of her mother while Tomaz does repairs. At night he must tape his legs and hands together to not hurt himself suffering from PTSD. He tries to deal with the past and the woman named Miriam (Angeliki Papoulia) who he rescued during war and the evil war he now lives in once again.

Wanting to get as far away from the house as possible, he stays because he feels pity for Magda. When Sister Claire tells him the truth of what is happening in the house, he wants to find a way to free them all – can he?

Secareanu as Tomaz can not come to terms with what has happened in his past and the choices he made. Now, the choices are being taken away from him from the woman he trusted from the beginning. Secareanu gives us the look of a man torn between two worlds and thrown into a third one of evil headfirst. His character is filled with so much angst and it drives him in so many directions – insanity being one of them! Stellar performance.

Juri as Magda is a young woman that only knows she is responsible for Mother and their companionship is more than Tomaz understands. She wants a friendship with Tomaz but is also dealing with a duality of existence all her own. Ruddin as Mother certainly has her horrifying work cut out for her and does a marvelous job of making me jump more than a few times and a shocker at the end. Papoulia as Miriam gives us insight to Tomaz with her own story that does not come straight out with clear answers.

Now, lets get right to Staunton as Sister Claire with a ‘wow’. Trust me kiddies when I say that Dolores Umbridge has nothing on Sister Claire. She does not need a pink suit or tidy hair to scare us this time, this time it is a smile of pure evil to keep us on our toes. Staunton turns throughout the film and what you end up with is perfectly frightening.

Magnet Releasing is a part of Magnolia Pictures that specializes in films from the vanguard of horror, action, comedy and Asian cinema. It is also the home of classics like Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ON IN, Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, Andre Ovredal’s TROLLHUNTER, Neil Marshall’s sword and sandals bloodbath CENTURION and Tony Jaa’s ONG BAK trilogy. Recent released include the terrifying anthologies V/H/S and V/H/S/2, Xan Cassavettes’ stylish vampire film KISS OF THE DAMNED, and the sci-fi thriller THE LAST DAYS ON MARS. Upcoming films include Ti West’s THE SACRAMENT and to find out more of what is to come please visit www.magnetreleasingfilms.com.

AMULET is a thriller with twists and turns like none you have seen before. There are stories within stories that still do not give all the answers the way you might expect. Instead, there are scenes that have you trying to put the pieces together and finding that its impossible because writer/director Garai only throws scraps and what twisted scraps they are.

The CGI is another character within the film that is nothing short of a tad bit queasy. Not that I minded it, just didn’t think anyone had the brashness to put it on film so brava…seriously brava! This film brings about so much that you do have to pay attention and not let anything distract you from where Tomaz is going and how he gets there. THAT will leave you breathless!

AMULET is definetly a Friday night popcorn thriller in-the-dark piece and it will have viewers scratching their heads and having conversations over what it is they just experienced. I know I will.

In the end – have faith in fear!

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