Stream to Scream: Relic and Come Closer by Sara Gran

 

One particular Calvin and Hobbes comic stands out in my mind when I think of the strip’s philosophical underpinnings. As young Calvin and his imaginary pet tiger Hobbes are wandering through the forest, Calvin asks his anthropomorphic tiger if he believes in the devil and Hobbes, an astute, unbiased observer, states, “I’m not sure man needs the help.” Despite many believing this much more nuanced take on the origins of human evil, many possession stories, where a devil literally makes someone do something, still exist, but recent ones have also become more nuanced than “demon enters someone then others try to force it out.” The 2020 movie Relic uses the supernatural as a metaphor for losing oneself as the body loses its battle with time. Come Closer by Sara Gran, on the other hand, gives a very intimate and harrowing portrayal of losing oneself to a demonic entity, a battle that has the line between human and demon constantly blurring.

Relic stars Emily Mortimer as Kay, a woman who realizes that her mother Edna is not the woman Kay knew. After hearing that her mother has vanished, Kay and her adult daughter travel to Edna’s cottage and discover clues to Edna’s deteriorating mental state. Those fears are not assuaged when Edna returns and exhibits some very odd behavior. Not to mention, there is some strange mold growing in the house and Kay is having some very unusual dreams. This all leads to a very surreal meditation on mortality as well as our own eventual decay. Relic has some frightening images, but what really makes this movie stick with you is how powerless Kay, or anyone, is to stop what’s happening.

That helplessness is also part of what makes Sara Gran’s Come Closer so terrifying. Told exclusively through protagonist Amanda’s experiences, the story begins with her experiencing lapses in memory and strange dreams, dreams of a red beach and a strange woman with sharp teeth. Soon, Amanda’s behavior becomes more erratic. Her husband soon becomes concerned, then begins to drift away, while Amanda tries everything from therapy to a self-help book on demonic possession that pretty much verifies that Amanda is indeed possessed. However, just as Edna is powerless to stop her decline, Amanda is constantly thwarted by the demon, usually by taking control of her body long enough to dissuade anyone from helping her. Both stories talk about a slow and horrifying loss of control, but Come Closer has the reader vicariously experience Amanda’s possession. Far from the spinning head and vomiting, Amanda’s demon is much more subtle and sinister, simply having Amanda commit petty crimes and seek out men for anonymous sex. What is the scariest about Amanda’s loss of control is that it becomes difficult to see just how much or how little the demon influences Amanda. Maybe Hobbs was onto something.