: Lacking reliable contraception, the couple is forced into a life of celibacy.
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)
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 : Lacking reliable contraception, the couple is forced
Critics were largely divided on the film's execution. While the atmosphere was praised, the pacing and "Freudian" heavy-handedness were often cited as drawbacks. In his 2015 film Angelica , director Mitchell
: Constance begins to see a spectral, bacterial-looking presence in the house, which she believes is a threat to Angelica. Psychological vs. Supernatural
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?