In his 2015 film Angelica , director Mitchell Lichtenstein returns to the psychosexual territory he first explored in his cult hit Teeth . This time, however, he swaps modern body horror for a lush, stifling Victorian gothic setting. Based on Arthur Phillips’ 2007 novel, the film is an unsettling look at how sexual repression, medical ignorance, and rigid gender roles can dismantle a marriage and a mind. The Plot: A House Divided
: Desperate for help, Constance turns to Anne Montague (Janet McTeer), a "ghostbuster" who may be either a genuine medium or a clever charlatan. Critical Reception
The film leans heavily into the "hysteria" diagnoses of the era. It purposefully blurs the lines between a genuine haunting and the hallucinations of a woman crushed by social expectations. Angelica (2015)
: Joseph, a medical researcher, grows increasingly distant and frustrated, while Constance becomes neurotically obsessed with her daughter's safety.
: Constance begins to see a spectral, bacterial-looking presence in the house, which she believes is a threat to Angelica. Psychological vs. Supernatural In his 2015 film Angelica , director Mitchell
If you're interested in similar stories, I can recommend films or books that deal with the "hysteria" trope or psychological horror . Would you like a list of recommendations?
: The cinematography and Victorian production design were noted for being "elegant" and "lush". The Plot: A House Divided : Desperate for
: The apparition Constance sees is often interpreted as a projection of Joseph's suppressed sexual aggression or her own buried desires.