House of Horrors: Ageing and Loss in Natalie Erika James' 'Relic'

Marrying conventional horror tropes with a sensitive depiction of the impact of dementia on three generations of women, Natalie Erika James' debut feature gives shape to fears of neurological and physical deterioration, as well as the experience of living in a hostile and unsafe domestic space. As Josh Nelson finds, the film diverges from previous representations of the condition in the horror genre – and cinema more broadly – through its identification with the sufferer.

Additional keywords:
Emily Mortimer, The Babadook, Hereditary, Alzheimer's, Gothic, psychological horror, melodrama, haunted house, David Cronenberg, body horror