Abstract

As Margaret Gullette claims in Aged by Culture, aging has traditionally been envisioned as a narrative of decline owing to pervasive ageist practices, whereas youth has often been considered a narrative of progress. Nonetheless, owing to more inclusive social practices, which reflect contemporary times, active or positive aging has drawn attention to the potentialities of old age, thus paving the way for counter-stories, to use Hilde Lindemann Nelson’s term, in which elderly individuals display an unprecedented strength and power that counteract prejudices in relation to old age. More recently, Pamela Gravagne has also referred to narratives of becoming, in which aging is approached as a collective and non-linear experience rather than as an individual and as a disconnected endeavor. Contemporary films featuring elderly characters and with a special focus on old age give examples of aging both as a narrative of decline through instances of ageism, but also as a counter-story by means of examples of active or positive aging, and even as a narrative of becoming, thus envisioning aging as opening up new possibilities. This article analyzes contemporary films like Adam Robitel’s The Taking of Deborah Logan, Axelle Carolyn’s The Manor, and Natalia Erika James’s Relic as respective examples of narratives of decline, counter-stories, and narratives of becoming with regard to old age in horror cinema.