Nothing can prepare you for Gabriel Abrantes‘ twisted new shocker, Amelia’s Children, which opens in cinemas and on VOD this Friday, 1 March 2024. Inspired by Greek tragedy and Gothic horror, this darkly comic tale is guaranteed to take you to some very dark places with touches of humor you know you shouldn’t really be laughing at.
Known for his offbeat sensibility in films such as Diamantino, Abrantes brings his signature style to Amelia’s Children. The story follows Edward (Carloto Cotta of Diamantino fame) as heads off with his girlfriend, Ryley (Brigette Lundy-Paine – “Atypical,” Bill & Ted Face the Music) in search of his long-lost biological family, which leads him to a palatial but ominous villa in the mountains of Portugal. Excitement at meeting his family after so many years turns to trepidation when Edward discovers that his mother and twin brother harbor a terrible secret that bonds them all together.
At the dark heart of the story lies the primal taboo of consanguine sexual relations, which Abrantes spins into a shocking myth about generational narcissism. As he explains, “A mother could be so vain and obsessed with beauty that she would be willing to do anything, even commit the most messed up transgressions.” In anticipation of this Friday’s release of the film, CinemaChords sat down with Abrantes to find out what it was about Sophocle’s Oedipus Rex and the autobiographic references in Stoker’s Dracula that sowed the seeds their latest film, and how he went about walking the fine line between oddball comedy and disturbing horror and taboos.
Magnet Releasing will release Amelia’s Children in theaters and on VOD this coming March 1st, 2024.
