It’s been six years since Mitchell Lichtenstein’s last feature, "Happy Tears," and eight since his debut, the Jess Weixler-starring “Teeth.” Ahead of its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival this weekend, the trailer for Lichtenstein’s third film, "Angelica," has arrived online for your viewing pleasure.
Running just over 45 seconds, the trailer (via THR) for “Angelica” is a brief look at Lichtenstein’s first foray into the period piece, even if it’s still within the confines of the horror genre. The film also marks the first time Lichtenstein has adapted a book, Arthur Phillips’s novel of the same name, and it centers on Jena Malone’s Constance, who, in 1880 London, must practice sexual abstinence because of the erroneous medical advice of the era. As one expects in a Lichtenstein film, things do not go well. Here’s the official synopsis:
London in 1880, in the middle of the Victorian era. Shop assistant Constance, who lost her parents at an early age, falls in love with doctor and vivisectionist Dr Joseph Barton. When their daughter Angelica is born the pair is overjoyed, but the birth almost costs the young mother her life. From now on she must practice sexual abstinence – she is to think of herself as a beautiful garden enclosed by a tall iron fence. Before long her bid to suppress her desires and erotic feelings gives birth to demons. A ghostly being emerges from Constance’s hysterical fantasy; the spirit penetrates closed doors, terrorising the sleeping child and her fragile mother. When an assistant with parapsychological skills is called to their home, their middle-class world finally falls apart …
A wickedly ironic portrait of a society in a blend of psychodrama and horror; a film in which dark interiors reflect the mental states of the protagonists, and supernatural secrets are celebrated from different points of view. Director Lichtenstein’s ambiguous game of insecurities is based on a novel by Arthur Phillips.
Watch the trailer for “Angelica” below. Update 2/4: Four clips from the film below via Film Divider.
It’s been six years since Mitchell Lichtenstein’s last feature, "Happy Tears," and eight since his debut, the Jess Weixler-starring “Teeth.” Ahead of its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival this weekend, the trailer for Lichtenstein’s third film, "Angelica," has arrived online for your viewing pleasure.
This looks atrocious! What was Jena Malone thinking? She had such promise.