10 Horror Movies With No Obvious Villain
7. Relic (2020)
In a similar vein to how the titular monster of The Babadook was a manifestation of an exhausted mother’s grief, underseen Aussie horror gem Relic uses the horror genre to explore abstract concepts to heart-breaking effect.
After receiving word that her elderly mother, Edna (Robyn Nevin), has gone missing, Kay (Emily Mortimer) alongside her own daughter, Sam (Bella Heathcote), rush to her tired-looking country home. But when Edna mysteriously reappears with no memory of what happened, events take a malevolent turn. Edna’s erratic behaviour grows increasingly dangerous while the house itself begins to shift into a labyrinth of moulded corridors and dead ends.
Anyone going into this film without knowing what it was about would assume they’re in for a creepy supernatural affair in which the house and its aged owner have become possessed by an evil entity. However, it soon becomes apparent that the affliction haunting this family isn’t supernatural.
Edna has Alzheimer’s Disease. She’s unable to recognise her own family, which is as terrifying for them as it is for her. The instant viewers release this, Edna is no longer the threat she once was. As the final, heart aching shot highlights, she’s a vulnerable woman terrified of losing her family.