The Relic
A Chicago museum exhibition becomes a death trap when a genetically mutated creature turns a police investigation into a desperate monster hunt.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- grisly
- foreboding
- late night horror marathon
- creature feature night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film entertaining as a gory creature feature but too derivative and predictable to match its ambitious premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Chicago museum's exhibition spaces, service areas, and corridors become the monster's territory during a public event.
Dr. Margo Green discovers insect and reptilian DNA in a mutated beetle, linking scientific transformation to the killer creature.
The monster is frequently concealed in shadow while decapitations and attacks punctuate the museum investigation.
Lt. Vincent D'Agosta traces missing hypothalami while Green studies mutated biological material to identify a common cause.
Films like The Relic, and why
Jurassic Park
museum-set creature horror with escalating pursuit, practical-effects spectacle, and claustrophobic survival tension
Species
science fiction horror built around a genetically altered predator, investigative protagonists, and gore-driven suspense
Alien
ensemble monster thriller emphasizing dark environments, creature attacks, and action-horror mayhem
Mimic
investigative creature feature with urban infrastructure, escalating deaths, and a predatory nonhuman antagonist
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Hyams
- Release Date
- 1997-01-10
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (666)
Cast
- Penelope Ann Miller
- Tom Sizemore
- Linda Hunt
- James Whitmore
- Clayton Rohner
- Chi Muoi Lo
- Thomas Ryan
- Robert Lesser
- Diane Robin
- Lewis van Bergen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Relic about?
- A Chicago museum exhibition becomes a death trap when a genetically mutated creature turns a police investigation into a desperate monster hunt.
- What is The Relic like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Relic as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Relic violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Relic as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Relic?
- Critics broadly found the film entertaining as a gory creature feature but too derivative and predictable to match its ambitious premise.
- Which films are like The Relic?
- Films with a similar feel include Jurassic Park, Species, Alien, and Mimic.
- How long is The Relic?
- The Relic runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Relic?
- In United States, The Relic streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
