MEN (2022) A24 HORROR MOVIE REVIEW + SPOILERS
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- čas přidán 30. 05. 2024
- today we welcome my favorite man to review the new A24 movie Men! have you seen this movie yet? if so, what were your thoughts??
SPOILERS BEGIN AT 11:46
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You guys should totally do a podcast. We need more horror podcasts out there.
For sure!
I agree I’d definitely listen to it. I love the deadmeat podcast but I’d love another one to listen to💕
Totally!! Their conversation flowed so well. I'd love a podcast from them
@@Sierra-mn5ye yeah me too!
I’d listen to it! I usually set up My CZcams to listen anyway
I thought the birthing scene at the end represented the pov of the narcissistic male, and the multiple efforts he goes through to become a version she will finally love, which eventually ends with her husband breathlessly slumping on the couch, giving up, no longer trying to manipulate the woman who finally sees the narcissistic male for what he really is. I think the reviewers missed many points.
I think you nailed it.
Absolutely!!
Yes, exactly! I was wondering if I watched the same movie as them. Yes, there were plenty of moments where she was just standing around doing nothing, but she fought back multiple times, too (resulting in horrible things happening to the creature). Besides, the mythological creature would just return to haunt her no matter how much help she sought and wanted because - to me - it was an internal issue of overcoming her trauma and uncertainties.
i think the creature still tries to manipulate her at the end by saying "you did it to me" or smth like that, but she doesnt care what he says
People need to visit the folklore of The Green Man before watching. There is alot of symbolism and reference to religion and The Green Man. The issuance of the name Men ties to religious ideology...which James uses in their argument against her. It's not an affront against Men, but under a religious scope it fits.
It was gross but that "birthing" represented to me, toxic men enabling, perpetuating, and creating abusers. Not taking allegations of abuse seriously, can be as damaging as the abuse itself. But i agreed bad execution lmao
I agree! And that the cycle gave birth to her husband, who was so manipulative really worked for me. But I didn’t want to watch the actual process 😂😂
That was exactly how I read it as well, a cycle of toxicity that traces back to this primordial first man, a non-denominational Adam almost
So all men are toxic in other words?
Yes
@@dharmashark7285 by that logic so are all women because ive known lots of toxic women in my time
Aw, I love this! Can we have a video with Ryan’s top horror movie picks?! Maybe a list of movies you guys love to watch together?
My interpretation: Green Man (the image in the stone/the guy following her) is a pagan symbol of rebirth, new cycles, spring (like how we think of the Spring equinox) and I happened to be familiar with that imagery going into the film because of my own spiritual practices. So that’s why, imo, he starts giving birth-that’s what the Green Man represents.
So what I got from that…each man/boy (I see as being each a different archetype for different ways misogyny manifests) “gives birth” to another. Because the green man symbolizes cycles, I interpret that as a like cycle of abuse or like a handing down of values I.e. the way society continuously perpetuates and reproduces misogyny. Misogynistic Men “giving birth” to more misogynist men. I thought the message may be that every man needs to recognize their role in that cycle, the ways in which they *reproduce* those ideas. Whether it’s outright assault or simply warning a woman what not to flush.
Harper feels guilty, has feelings that what happened was her fault. The vicar/priest tells her it was. The Green Man comes and shows her that it’s not, that it didn’t start with James-that James is the product of all of these different ideologies that permeate every aspect of our society.
To me, the last 30 minutes is what made me love the film. I totally understand if body horror isn’t everyone’s thing & I 100% think that having prior knowledge of the imagery used allowed the film to affect me in a very profound way.
I'm so happy to see someone who knows about celtic mythology and speaking on the spiritual meaning behind some of the imagery. More films should be made to have these discussions as we are "hopefully" moving away from the old patriarchal society into a more natural and inclusive and divine nature.
It's the "myth of the one good man." Every guy thinks he's the only decent guy on the planet and has to save women from all the other men, who are the bad guys. It's male self loathing and insecurity which is a product of a set of female imposed social norms. The imposition of those norms is found everywhere in this comment section and everywhere else outside of it. It's why we throw the word "misogyny" around as if it means anything.
How does it work exactly? We're told that it's a patriarchal male dominated society where men hate women (for some mysterious perpetually unnamed reason), yet when we employ the misogynist accusation, we fully expect the male accused of it to feel ashamed. That's the purpose of the accusation, to shame. Why would he feel ashamed for having the value system that we claim society promotes? Does that even make sense?
The accusation of misogyny would only induce shame if it were a society that didn't promote hatred of women. Is it possible we already live in such a society and have for countless generations? The reason the accusation induces shame is because it's men's job to protect women from the mythical bad guys and men who don't do this are pathetic, villains, failures, etc., and this is exactly the assumptions that literally every other generation of men had under what you call patriarchy. That's what patriarchy is/was. What else did you think it was?
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who loved this movie! I also went into it with a knowledge of paganism and it all made perfect sense to me. One would think that a movie critic would research the symbolism of what they watched before making a review video.
Thank you for taking the time to point out the depth of the symbolism in the film.
that is a great take - thank you!
I actually quite liked the movie and it’s symbolism but I definitely interpreted it differently. Part of what helped the ending for me was recognizing what the creature was and what it represented, the folklore of the Green Man is meant to be a masculine symbol of rebirth in old Celtic lore. The movies tension and subtleties all felt like the writer was depicting different facets of toxic masculinity and for me I thought the ending felt representative of the cyclical nature of it. Her not doing anything felt like a part of it, and the Green Man following her and reaching out to her with her trying to disconnect and walk away seemed appropriate with that in mind. As for the last part, I think the part with her husband is meant to be a final push for that theme, like him blaming her even though the things she did to him (his perception that her rejection caused his death either way it could have happened), and even the Green Man entity (both times she stabbed him he drove her to it or made it worse, he ripped his hand apart and he leaned into her when she had the knife in the bathroom) were part of self defense and her taking care of her self. And when she finally is just like what do you want and he says your love, it’s like the most toxic perception that toxic masculinity can create, the idea that all the toxicity in men comes from their entitlement to woman or their false perceptions of what they might think woman are or can be for them. However, with that all said I do agree that the ending could have been vastly improved if it showed her killing him rather than a the vague way they implied she might have, with her friend arriving and she is alone outside and smiles at her. Anyway sorry for the wall of text but I thought I’d throw out my thoughts and opinions about it. Even though we disagree for the most part I liked the video and appreciate your understanding of it to. Love the channel! 🖤
Such a great interpretation. I've been leaning towards something like this myself. And having a bit of uni knowledge of English folklore helped - when you recognize the Green Man and the Sheela Na Gig, you kinda know how to frame it. I also loved that they made references to the apple/Eden/Adam&Eve motif but the apple tree was so obviously fake and plastic that this seems like a signal: nope, we're not going with the Christianity angle.
This is probably my favourite interpretation i've seen so far!!
Terrible movie wtf are you talking about?
@@robyntm it’s a great movie. What horror movies are you into
As a person who’s been in several abusive relationships this movie just felt like an exploration of that trauma. The cycles that are perpetuated in those relationships. It was incredibly triggering for me, in a good way. Very realistic portrayal. Especially if the husbands mental illness. They managed to die how deeply manipulative and abusive he is while also making it clear that he was only that way because he didn’t have a good grip on reality and his thinking. Superb.
Pls fix the spelling it's so triggering xd
Your take on it is the new one to me. Ive seen everyone's reviews and opinions on it and most of them were the same but yours is an take that really gets me because its a take i never really thought of i kinda dont get it but it's a good take❗❗❗
I feel similarly! It reminded me of my ex who made the same threats and it was really eye opening to see it play out infront of me.
One thing that was interesting is that the only man who physically hurt Harper was her husband. As creepy and awful as all the other men were, only the man who was supposed to love her was the man who physically hurt her.
1💖 I have to see it now FOR SURE! Thank you. 🙏🏻
But there is an entire scene where she is put under a “hypnosis” state which is why she wasn’t able to do anything. Representing the control dynamic. Also, at the end, I feel it’s pretty clear after she laughs at his proposal of love, she kills him, which is why she is smiling when her friend arrives.
I like this interpretation honestly but it definitely should have been clearer?? Maybe more blood on her dress after?? I do want to rewatch this now with this comment in mind though!! :)
Where?
The whole film is about victim blaming, wrestling with a guilt complex, and portraying the dynamics within abusive relationships. If you perceive the female protagonist to be dumb and weak for not fighting back hard enough, you missed the point entirely. this movie is a direct critique on these types of attitudes towards female victims.
I interpreted the story as Harper exploring her trauma against her will. She didn't physically act when things came to a head at the end because she needed to literally see this through, to try and gain a broader perspective in order to survive her feelings of guilt. I loved seeing her smile so genuinely at the very end.
15:38
Wait, she " literally doesn't fight back one time"?? lmao She fights back multiple times, and once so severely that the movie focus' on it for a solid 20 seconds, with the inflicted injury being key to the entire final portion of the movie, including the birthing scene??
On top of that, she contacts multiple people for help, and attempts to escape this remote house in the country side twice. Ultimately, its shown that she ended up killing "something" (left to interpretation).
I could go on about other things that were said, but I don't want to come across like you cant have opinions. They just need to be more informed 🤷♂
yes literally this review was so misleading that it put me off of this film, but luckily i ened up watching it and it's a masterpiece.
Their review feels like would come from a 17years old or smth, well disappointing
@@pkriszti01 masterpiece 🤥
This is why I never base whether or not to see a movie on the opinions of critiques, whether professionals or not.
And, in my own reviews, I always encourage anyone that has an interest in a movie, to go see it for themselves.
Okay, I just saw this today!! I have thoughts but there are spoilers, so beware!!!
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I believe the movie is meant to express that no matter the situation men will find a way to blame women for their issues and pain.
Starting with the men
The home owner -> the "good guy," she should just trust him, she can't take care of herself, slight judgement over Mrs/Ms
The police -> domestic violence and stalking are heavily overlooked by police, women statistically are more likely victims to domestic violence than men. it is also notoriously hard to get stalkers taken care of.
Child -> Blames women for not having fun, representation that mom is the mean parent, also representation than men can begin hating women at a young age
Priest -> women are constantly persecuted by religion and held to higher standards, stories from religious text are used to demonize women
Naked Guy -> stalkers, men exposing themselves without women's consent, men feeling they deserve or claim women
Husband -> abuser, doesn't take accountability
I think cycling between all the men shows how men continue to promote the cycle of "boys will be boys." although there are many types of men in the world, this movie highlights my women often feel unsafe.
Things in the movie that women should be able to do but usually don't due to fear of danger. I think these subtle nods make us aware of how afraid we are.
1) Renting a huge house in the middle of nowhere
2) Going on a walk in nature alone
3) Leaving doors unlocked
4) Grieving with a male figure
5) Trusting a house tenant
6) Go to a pub alone
7) Walk home alone
8) Leaving a phone in the other room
9) Trust police
10) Leave a relationship if it is not healthy, or for any reason
11) Birth
Reflections on the births:
1st --> symbol of vaginal birth
2nd --> symbol of Cesarean birth
3rd --> symbol of back labor
4th --> symbol of dying in Childbirth or stillbirth (dead husband is born)
Again I think the births are representative of a cycle of different types of toxic men, how they are brought into the world.
The husband's reappearance signifies that he is the problem not her. He is the toxic one, but he will blame her for his death.
I do not think she was the strongest female character, but I think it is meant to show she was written by a man. she is stereotypically written. Pretty, demure, wears a pink and lace dress majority of the movie. pink was also considered a masculine color up until the 1900s when it was them marketed to women. she doesn't react like many women would in a situation of life or death because she is not written by a woman. I believe the point is women will be blamed for men's actions or behaviors, and are expected to remain how society wants them: passive, in pink, and to blame.
So this is what I got out of this movie. please lmk what you think or if I missed anything. I'm happy to further expand! now go subscribe to Sarah and like the video!
people blame people for pain! god women are so pathetic!
Nailed it!
@@loveMAM97 thanks! I feel like everyone I went with thought it was a pointless movie. I don't think it's great, but it had very important themes. When I told my brother I understood the theme of the movie he was like "no you don't, that movie didn't mean anything" and I have to sit with him and discuss all these thoughts. In the end most of our group just said it was weird.
This seems like a very plausible explanation, well thought out. I just finished watching the movie an hour ago and I've been reading a lot of reviews on it, but yours is the one I agree the most to. I think in the end I'll take some parts which I related to the most from each review and add some of my interpretations to it as well, and what I end up with, might be what I got from the movie I guess
@@ashielovestolearn wow, thank you so much! It definitely took a day of processing for me to come up with all my thoughts.
More Ryan on the channel, please!
👍👍
I loved this film. The toxicity and manipulative, controlling behaviour of many men stood out.
Right near the start when Harper enters the tunnel and is free and enjoying her own space, she laughs playfully as she makes the harmonic echoes. This attracts the attention of a man, drawn and intrigued by her playful, happy and free nature.
The end of the film I feel tried to show that no matter how men can promise to go through their own attempts to change themselves by going through their death and rebirth, they still end up with just another controlling and manipulative version of themselves, just in different guises.
And when the final rebirth is Harpers ex husband and she asks what he wants, and he says 'your love' and she almost laughs, its because that is what controlling men say, they havent a clue about love but they use the term as another tool of manipulation in order to get control, and also to put the blame on her too.
A superb film on so many levels. I hope this actually helps some women have the courage to free themselves from their toxic relationship after watching it. The fact it's directed by a man is insightful because at least any relatable men who watch it can't complain it's a film directed by a 'scorned, bitter woman' (cos thats exactly the excuse weak men would use to keep the status quo rather than work on their issues).
There is also a ton of symbolism relating to nature and they used green and red a lot throughout to represent new birth, spring etc. The red walls in the house possibly representing a womb, supposedly a safe space and yet red is also a colour representing violence and aggression, many references to paganism and the bible, especially the book of Genesis and the forbidden fruit. The fact she bit the apple sets the premise. Its all her fault.
So much to unpack that I'll be watching it again to see what I missed.
Great job Alex Garland, Jesse Buckley and Rory Kinnear, to name a few.
I think if you rewatch it with the idea that *nothing* at the cottage is literal it'll solve a lot of your problems and open up some interesting avenues. I don't think there was a creature, I don't think any of those men really existed, I think it was all metaphor. And the 3rd act was about history repeating itself, and generational trauma, and she didn't kill her husband in the end because she came to a place of acceptance. She accepted that he was sick and the product of generations before him, and it wasn't her fault. She was able to let go. I think the entire thing is a metaphor for her process of recovery.
This might be a stretch, but I interpreted the birthing scenes in the end as symbolic of the way men enable each other. The way we're often complicit in each other's shitty actions, and the boys-will-be-boys mentality that allows for an endless cycle of violence and misogyny. Helping to facilitate that cycle was shown through a series of violent men giving birth to each other (???).
I also thought about the way toxic masculinity is passed down from male relatives and fathers to young boys.
I also ALSO thought maybe the ending scene was meant to be a perversion of motherhood. Instead of bringing life into the world, these grotesque births were only bringing violence and death, in the form of a bunch of bloody, mangled, and dangerous men.
But all in all, the fact that I can come up with so many interpretations only strengthens the idea that shit got convoluted in the writing room😭😭. Maybe ur right that Alex Garland just couldn't settle on the story he was trying to tell with this movie, and maybe that's fair, because I'm not sure it was ever his story to tell in the first place
OOH well said 🙌 I feel like you totally nailed what I couldn't put words to. It wasn't his story, so he couldn't tell it succinctly.
👍🏻 This is also the way I interpreted it, that the birthing scene represented an endless loop of the same problems.
Yes! I interpreted this the same! Also, each man was a different archetype of man. The landlord was the “nice guy”, the child was “boys will be boys”, and so on.
That’s exactly how I took it too. I really just wish that it went more in depth into that theme though. Outside of the bar scene, I never felt like that theme had been planted earlier in the film
I don't think it's a stretch at all...I think it was pretty obvious that was what it was about!
Love this dynamic, it would be great to see Ryan pop up once in a while on the channel in the future
And the debate would be a great idea
Saw this at Cannes where Jessie and Rory did a Q&A after the screening (Alex couldn't be there as he was busy with his next project), so a couple of things that it may bring to the conversation. Regarding the green fey man, that is the one character that Rory had no control over, it was entirely Garland's vision, whereas the other characters were created in a far more collaborative way, which is interesting in that that the parts which faltered more are therefore the ones which are purely Garland's vision. As for the themes, Jessie commented that it's a movie about a relationship and relationships, whatever that means, though in her eyes between men and women, though Rory gave a much more non committed answer of how with every viewing his perspective changes and that it's really a movie you need to sit with. And to point to what you said about the ending one of the questions was specifically about one of the viewers frustration about Harper not using the axe at the end, Jessie gave, with a large grin "who said she didn't?", though I do agree with the assessment that, at the very least symbolically she should have fully paid off the chekov's gun of slicing his privates, or at the very least killing it. And likewise, there was some... Surprise evoked in the questions that it went full body horror at the end, "guess it's too late now to tell you that you should eat after the movie," was Rory's comment on that, though it had been prefaced when the two introduced the movie. And whether or not you thought the sequence fit the movie, from Rory's response it does seem that basically everything apart from the face replacements were in large part practical, so... Yay, I guess?
Oh and if anything else springs to mind, I'll edit and add back to this comment.
This is actually a really interesting detail I picked up on, but not a lot of other people did I guess. When it shows his corpse after the fall, where he has all the wounds Harper gave Roy, he actually has a massive, axe shaped head wound. I remember this detail, because I was looking at his body thinking "How did he hit his head?'
I think by the time the birthings started to take place she realized this was in some way her husband. I don't think she was being weak, this was a chance for her to stay calm, face him and get some closure. When her friend arrives, she appears to have that closure and a new inner peace.
Also I don't get the freakout over the births. When you've got a naked dude growing branches out of his face, I was ready for anything to happen.
For me it was more shocking because i just didnt expect the movie to go in that direction. Ive seen weirder and more absurd things in horror movies, its just those movies prime you more for the imagery you will be seeing whereas men just kind of.... takes an unexpected turn and you dont really see a scene like that coming. And in this instance, i dont really mean that as a compliment lol
@@Allgloss312 I was surprised too, but when I thought about it, the stick man was on one side of the stone in the church and a birthing was displayed on the other.
My interpretation as well
YESSSSSSSSSSS RYAN IS BAAAACK I looooved seeing you guys together in vlogs way back ! I've been following you for many many years ! Reminds me of those times 🥰
The ‘creature’ is actually the image of the green man or pagan king from Celtic mythology
god i love seeing you guys together 🫶🏼🫶🏼
POSSIBLE SPOILER:
In the final scene with James & Harper, she gives him a quick glance and grips the axe, then it cuts to her outside-I could be misinterpreting, but to me, this meant the physical battle (into badass final girl mode) happened off-screen... Don't know if I agree with this choice as it would've redeemed her passiveness in the final act & given our protagonist the power back. I was left feeling a little empty as much as I enjoyed it overall. Still trying to figure out if there was some deeper meaning/commentary with that. 🤔
The third act when all the different men were “breaking” into the house was like something you see in a nightmare
I’ve been watching your content since nearly the beginning of your channel. So I hope that my criticisms of this review don’t come off too harshly. I do take issue though with the way you’ve addressed the main character’s response to her abuse and trauma. We all like to think that if we ever found ourselves in these situations that we’d fight back and stand up for ourselves, but that’s not always the case. Response to trauma and abuse comes in many different forms, some of which are dissociating, or freezing in place. Often this is a coping mechanism to tune out the atrocities that are happening to us, and sometimes it’s knowingly holding back for fear that fighting back will cause further harm and retaliation. To imply that she should’ve done more to fight back came off somewhat as victim blaming.
My second point is less about the review itself and more about inclusivity. But using the terms, “female genitalia” or describing a man as having female genitalia is non-inclusive at best and transphobic at worst. I know that neither of you meant any harm by it because I know from my years of watching you that you care deeply about the lgbt community. Just wanted to point that out because when it comes to using inclusive language, sometimes harm is caused whether we intend it or not.
That being said, as someone who spent nearly a decade with someone emotionally and physically abusive, full of toxic masculinity, a master manipulator and gaslighter, this movie hit home for me so hard on so many levels that it had me frozen with fear. Much like my response many times when enduring actual trauma and abuse. I think anyone who wants to go see this movie should make sure they’re in the headspace to watch something that could be potentially incredibly triggering when it comes to domestic violence, abusive partners, the cycle of abuse, etc.
💛
wow this is was so well put and I have respect for you and I’m glad you were able to leave ur abusers and I hope you are happier and stronger now then ever you deserve it but I agree so much of ur comment
I love this movie. I wanted a horror movie that would scare me and freak me out and I knew this movie did its job on the lone drive home in the dark. Heck! Other than that, this movie isn’t perfect and definitely has issues but for me, the horror aspects really worked to make me enjoy the film. Which is strange because usually a weak story will lose me. I guess I got the metaphor enough to where it didn’t bother me. Here’s what me and my bf got from it.
SPOILERS:
The theme of MEN is the main character's mistrust in all men after her husband becomes abusive and then falls or jumps to his death (it's heavily implied that he committed suicide but it may have been an accident). He becomes emotionally and physically abusive after the main character threatens divorce. She is wracked with guilt over her husband's death and in some ways blames herself.
The old house in the remote village represents the main character's retreat within herself and the things she falls back on to rebuild her shattered life. Her connection with the outside world, embodied by her friend, is extremely shaky; this is shown in the form of constant signal interruption during the video calls with her friend.
The different men she encounters each represent a different part of her psyche which her ex-husband desecrated:
- The landlord: in many ways a father figure, who protects her from the outside world by giving her shelter. The ultimate betrayer, who was seen as a friend until she tries to leave- at which point he tries to kill her.
- The policeman: a person she trusts to keep her safe from danger, only to betray her by letting that danger back into her life, and ridiculing her when she is afraid. He also appears as an aggressor towards the end of the film.
- The bartender: he is someone who fades into the background, who she doesn't even think about- a bystander who shouldn't be any danger; yet we see the same contempt for the main character in his eyes as all the others
-The pub patrons: these are the typical sexual abuser stereotypes and they represent the main character's realistic fears of strange men; in fact, these are the only men who she is truly afraid of and they act the most aggressively towards her
-The vicar: he represents her sense of morality- her ex-husband destroyed this by killing himself in front of her and making her think that it was her fault. His attempted rape represents her husband shattering her trust in him. This is the only man she directly kills, because losing her faith was the worst wound of all.
-The church boy: he represents the main character's childlike innocence. He wears a mask of a woman's face to emphasize that he is her. The boy is shown to be a murderous psychopath, implying that her innocence was perverted, manipulated, and used against her in the relationship. She does not show any fear towards this character because he is a part of her that is damaged.
-The naked man: perhaps the most important man of all, he represents the primal desires of all men. He only appears when she goes to the woods to feel more in tune with nature, unwittingly leaving civilized men behind, and his gradual development of plant-like features represents the main character's belief that all men will ultimately become savage beasts. This man does not harm her, perhaps because nature is amoral- he has no concept of dignity and what he does is purely based on instinct.
There are two other women in the film, and both are seen as friendly figures and protectors: the female police officer who assuages her fears after the naked man is first arrested; and her friend who would do anything to protect her. As previously mentioned, her friend represents the real world, which the main character's trauma has caused her to hide from. Her friend is like a lifeline, grounding her during the film and pulling her back at the end.
There are a number of symbols present throughout the film:
- The split arm is like an exaggerated version of her ex-husband's arm, impaled on a fencepost after he falls to his death. All of the men with the injury repeat "you did this to me", which represents the main character's feelings of guilt for causing her ex-husband's death
- The stone table, with the face of a man and woman on opposite sides. The Green Man and the Sheela Na Gig.
- The dead and decaying deer- obviously represents death, but on a deeper level it represents how the facade of love that the ex-husband put up had rotted away. Perhaps also this corpse and the maggots eating it are a nod to the main character finding new life after the horror.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, are the repeated male pregnancies in the climax. First the naked man breaks his ankle, just like the ex-husband's body. Then gives birth to the vicar, and the church boy, and finally the ex-husband himself. It was all him- he was the heart of all of her pain. Inside of every man she could not trust was her ex-husband pulling the strings. By the end of the film the main character is no longer afraid of any of them. She has come to terms with what happened and that it was not her fault. By fighting through the demons, she breaks his hold over her. Ultimately she is able to confront her husband, which she was never able to do before, and finds the reason she was feeling guilty in the first place: all he wanted was her love and she killed him. But she has also realized through the events of the film that he never deserved it and his death was not her fault, and it is implied that she takes the hatchet and destroys him once and for all.
The main character's smile in the last scene is not because her friend has come to save her, but because she saved herself. And though it wasn’t shown, I think that was basically the point is to not let it get to you in order to stand up to it.
His first movie was better
Such a great breakdown. I think you're spot on! I'm wondering about the video calls, though - when the signal is interrupted there is a screaming face. Maybe hers? As in she herself breaks the connection because the trauma is putting up a barrier?
I'm sorry but if you need to read a thesis to understand a movie, it is not a good movie.
@@mariealayne7223 I didn’t post this for anyone to understand the movie. My favorite movie is Titane and it won the Cannes award, but it takes some real analyzing to understand. And it’s not a bad movie at all. I merely posted this essay to show what we thought was going on. But I completely disagree that a movie is bad if it needs to be analyzed.
@@mariealayne7223 on the contrary, a “thesis” implies that it is thought-provoking, requires critical thinking and understanding to tie the elements of a good movie together. Big brain movies aren’t for everyone though 😉😄
I really enjoyed the movie but totally understand why it wasn't for everyone, my interpretation was (spoilers) that the men represented generations of abusive men with each man trying to coerce the main character with their toxic behavior as a way to push their issues onto her, with the husband being the main source of her torment. The priest with repressed sexuality being the most upfront, directly blaming her for his own desires and thoughts to avoid accountability, but each man having their own issue. Which circles around to her husband trying to force blame for his actions onto her and manipulate her through saying that she would be responsible for his suicide. Her 'inaction' in the end I understood as defiance to these men trying to force a reaction out of her in a way to try to get her to validate them, first through violence then through pity as the being wailing at her as it gave birth, then finally as the husband trying to manipulate her again as the final birth. Her silence and stoicism read to me as her choosing not to react to the toxic behaviors and not validating them in that way. There's way more going on with symbolism especially in the religious imagery but I disagreed in her being 'helpless' or 'stupid' as she seemed to be stonewalling them. That's my understanding at least.
I really wish he would have pulled more from the actual Green Man mythology. That really could have been something.
I was expecting a cult/ human sacrifice
It's so weird to see you, and so many other people saying, "she did nothing/ she didn't fight back." The whole time it was him blaming her and gaslighting. He even tells her his suicide would be her fault. And you wanted the film to show her killing him and being responsible? In terms of movie experience, I felt pretty much the exact same way as you guys, but you really didn't understand the point at all.
Maybe I'm reaching - my interpretation of the birthing scene was that it represents the mental backflips abusers will do to blame or gaslight their victims. What I mean by this is in flashbacks we see that Harper's husband told her that if she left him, he would kill himself, and it would be her fault. This is brought up several other times throughout the movie. We also see a flashback where Harper sees her husband's dead body, and it has the same injuries she later inflicts on the many Men of the village - an arm split, an ankle broken, stabbed through the abdomen, etc. Then at the end, when her husband is the last man to be birthed, he tells her, "Look at what you've done to me." Once again he is blaming Harper for the harm that has come to him, the SAME harm that came from his leap off of the building, except this time she actually HAS caused it, albeit in self-defense. So through attacking her in the form of someone (or something) else, he has forced her to actually be the cause of his physical pain/demise. Perhaps I'm pulling too much from my own experience with abusers but I've found that they will put themselves in crazy situations to make themselves look like the victim. So that's my interpretation of the ending.
ok but why is it called men and not people then? doesnt make sense
I saw the movie yesterday and I definitely think it's about the issues with male culture and toxicity. I think every man she interacts with represents one of those common toxic male characters. The physical similarities they share are not implying these characters are all one and the same creature, to me they imply they share the same toxic traits. The birthing scenes represent how all men have similar issues and traits, and those are passed on with each new generation. The homeless man is supposed to be Adam ("And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man"), the "root" of the problem, he slowly turns into a tree, in order to represent this root. Her husband was part of the problem, manipulating and gaslighting her into staying with him by threatening suicide, hence why he was the final part of the birthing cycle. As you said, his dead body even shared the same wounds as the ones of the "men". I'm not sure what you're talking about when saying she didn't fight back, but during the birthing scene at the end I believe she didn't have to fight back anymore. She already held all the power while the creature was in this endless cycle of rebirthing and becoming weaker during each one of those. The friend being pregnant in the end has more meaning than most might think. I suppose we are supposed to assume the baby is a boy, and either this cycle of male toxicity will be broken, or this same cycle will endlessly continue.
Oh another male bashing film? Great glad it's doing horrible at the box office.
@@Mustang1984 when all men understand the fear women feel walking down the street alone we can stop making these movies.🙂 If you're not a man who perpetrates abuse but wants women to feel safe then you shouldn't have anything to complain about.
@@amberreid1059 mmhmm keep doing it and this is what society will look like.
czcams.com/video/44-IpvZRfAw/video.html
@@amberreid1059 Women are literally the safest demographic of humans that exist. Western white women are literally the safest demographic of human beings *that have ever existed in the long history of our species.* Only E. Asian women are safer. Do you realize how utterly ridiculous you sound? You're either adults and we're "equal" or you are children in constant need of male provision & protection. Make up your goddamn mind already.
Both you guys are weird first person. not everything has to be tailored to your liking who cares that they made a movie. second person what are you even on about its no one's job to make you feel safe your not a child that needs cuddled
I don't think it's surprising at all that a film about the horror engendered by certain male behaviours was let down by the fact that it was made by a man, especially one who clearly failed to identify and accept the ways he could be part of that problem during the process. Imagine if a woman directed it- I genuinely believe that every issue you brought up in this video would be improved upon 200%
YES, beautifully said 🙌
an effeminate gay who faced homophobia could also do it better
I don't think that's necessarily fair, since this video just presents her (their) interpretations specifically. My own view on this movie (along with many others I've seen on CZcams) is that it presents an extremely disapproving look at toxic masculinity, and is one that doesn't shy away from showing how damaging it can be as it's passed through the generations.
+Bibby Piggy
Its funny, I literally told my friend when I left the movie that there would be two camps who wouldn't like the movie for opposite reasons;
1st - Would feel the movie was overly preachy and attacked men the whole time, while making women out to be innocent by standards and
2nd - People who felt the movie didn't go far enough talking about women's issues and their perspectives, with all the imagery just being the director sniffing his own gas
In fact, the movie address both men AND women, but depending on your personal ideological bend, people keep missing the subtext regarding this being about *inter-gender conflict* on a whole, with emphasis being from the female perspective mostly because the main character is female, and your average progressive person would sympathize more towards most women's issues.
This review, for instance skips over large portions of the movie and context, a lot of which informs the ending, but a lot of it also involves understand what he was saying from the mans perspective as well.
then itd be a realshit movie lol women cant direct well at all hahahaha He should have done a movie called woman that identifies the toxicity in women. toxic femininity is waaay more of a problem lets be real like cmon
when Sarah uploads right before you gotta leave for work AHHHHH okay I don’t even CARE I’ll be connecting this to my car and listening because I’ve been waiting for this🥴🥴
Upon leaving the theater, the first thing my husband said to me was that he thought they did a great job of portraying the feeling of being a woman in a mans world. I couldn’t agree more, and it felt good to hear that coming from a man. Sometimes I don’t think men understand how scary and exhausting it can feel being a woman in a world full of misogyny. I really connected to that theme throughout the movie, and therefore I loved it!
If it were a world full of misogyny, why would we expect men to feel shame when accused of misogyny?
Given that this was written and directed by a man, I personally see it more as a whole movie worth of mansplaining. But, that's just my opinion.
your chemistry is great and it works so much, it doesnt get awkward or flat. great video ! loved it. its very entertaining watching you two talking tbh
You’re lucky your partner goes to the movies with you, mine will never go see horror but very rarely see maybe a sci-fi. Loved the review from both of you!
as if your man would see a sexist movie like this hahahaha toxic feminity at its finest
So exciting you uploaded this! Saw soooo many bad reviews on social media and was curious of your thoughts!
I loved this film. It was original, unsettling, and thought provoking. Jessie and Rory did admirable work. And Garland has skills. It felt a bit like a cousin to Mother and Anomalisa.
The green "fairy" man is actually The God Pan, who has been in a lot in horror literature (probably the best example would be The Great God Pan). Rory has stated the original ending has the naked man going through mutations in front of her of all the men she has encountered. Garland has said he changed it as he was inspired by Attack on Titan. I admit I was turned off at first, thinking he was going too far, then I saw he was giving birth to all the men she has encountered, and I thought it clicked, as the God Pan was birthing all the versions that he had disguised himself. It is hard to connect this to Mother Nature, but I think he wanted to explore the natural, or the unnatural side of humanity and how we are all connected, including nature. I don't know, but I know Garland wanted to make a film where viewers would have their own meanings to the film.
No, it isn't Pan. Pan looks like a faun. This was the Green Man.
Wow! Love the two of you commenting about the movie. Definitely more Ryan. This video was so refreshing! 👏🏻💕
Yes we want to see him in future reviews. Really dug your chemistry!
I'm kinda shocked that I had a different interpretation about this movie. I enjoyed it and thought Harper was maybe isolated to the point where she maybe was hallucinating which is why all the men had similar faces, idk lol
Ty so much for always telling us when ur going to mention spoilers, bc it really allows us to try these films for ourselves in an unadulterated way
Don't know if you'll be disappointed by this or laugh (hope you'll laugh), but when you review a movie and you don't like it, you just express your dislike in such a fun, interesting way that I immediately go watch said horrible movie just to experience the horror of how bad it was. 😂😂😂
Same here! It’s like watching shitty movies with friends just to laugh the whole time lol
@@SimplyMusicJB4 but then you actually like the movie 😅
Yes! Would love to see Ryan in more videos i love your banter together!
It feels like we've lost the ability to see symbolism and metaphor because almost none of this movie us literal. That final conversation was her mental and emotional griwth, or rebirth happening.
Yeahh I was kind of bummed too that they didn't dive into the symbolism and instead kept reading the film in a more literal sense. There's a hell of a lot going on with this movie to deconstruct... but hey one could argue that it just didn't grip them in way that made them even want to exert the energy to interpret it haha I loved it though
@@dennyfader7559 True. There's just so much happening under the surface to dig into. Her assessment of what the message of the movie is I agree with in part but there's so much more to it. I loved it too.
you guys are so funny together!! i love your dynamic
I was waiting for your review!!!!
The entity is the green man. That’s the face they show in the church with leaves on it’s face. He’s a pagan mythical being that represents growth and rebirth.
And as for the injuries, they show the aftermath of the husband after he fell/jumped off the balcony. The pole through his hand and wrist. His ankle snapped. Which are the exact same injuries the entity gets. So I think it has some very visual metaphors for toxic behavior being passed on from one man to the next, and the various forms it came come in, or the “lack” of growth in some cases, and the metamorphosis that men are willing to go through to be loved by a woman. In the beginning of the movie, the husband even says “just tell me what to be and I’ll be it”. And ends with him slumped on the couch, still asking for love. And I think the movie insinuates that she used the axe on him and conquered her trauma.
Definitely the type of movie that’s better to watch in your room alone so you can really pay attention to the details. Not a great date night movie lol, so the review is totally fair. But I don’t think anything about this movie was “gross and excessive for the sake of gross and excessive”. It’s really meticulous and everything seems highly intentional and has a purpose. Just depends on what kinda movies you’re into. I thought it was a beautifully fucked up haunting movie.
great review you two, i liked the movie and the more i think about it the more i love it, love it's weirdness and the actors are amazing to me
Ryan is back and i loved 🧡🧡🧡
Loved listening to you guys talk about this movie! Would love to see you do another episode together.
Aw you guys can't stop smiling together! I love it ❤️ xxxx
You both are so fun to watch omg! And you gave each other time to talk and didn't interrupt, I love that! I'm not going to see this one but I have been hearing VERY mixed things. Awesome video Sarah + Ryan!
Definitely do more reviews together! Love the shirts 😍
WE NEED MORE "TOXIC HORROR MOVIE SETS"-VIDEOS!!!!
My issue with the movie was it felt more social commentary than actual story. I think it’s both a commentary on this singular woman’s guilt as well as women as a whole. She is literally seeing her husband in all of these men. Especially when they all have the same wounds he does. But on a grander scale, she is traumatized by men and sees all these toxic traits in every man she meets. From the priest who says it’s her fault her husband died, to the policeman waving off her worries that the guy in the woods was stalking her, to even the little boy yelling at her for not wanting to play with him. The birthing scene is to show how these behaviors have been passed down for generations since the dawn of time. Or since Adam and Eve. I think where the movie fails is Harper feels like Ike a completely one note character with no other characteristics beside her trauma. Especially for a movie with such a wide and sensitive meaning. The central character is completely disregarded and the ending doesn’t make any narrative sense
I think an argument could be made that the reason she is so one note, is that trauma can be so all consuming? When you go through severe trauma, it can start to feel like all you are is the trauma you’ve experienced. She’s so distressed and paralyzed by the trauma and fear for so much of the film. But when she finally gets the chance to confront her husband at the end, we see her smile afterwards. I took that as her finally feeling some sort of hope that she could move past all the trauma and abuse. Like she was finally going to reconnect with the outside world again and try to heal and move past everything she went through.
This movie is pure surrealism. It’s a nightmare. The green man gave Harper exactly the nightmare she needed, a nightmare that included all the knowledge of men she needed, to let go of any guilt or responsibility for James’ death that she carried. The green man is naked, mute, slack faced, because he’s not a human man of our world and has no bias, no needs or wants from Harper, no concealment or pretense. She understandably sees him as a threat, as his form is male and he is naked and his intention is totally unclear. But what does he actually do? He shows her what she needs to see, so she can understand what she needs to understand, to be reborn after this trauma.
The green man is a symbol of spring: growth and regeneration. His role isn’t as a villain or hero. Just like nature isn’t good or bad but just is. He shows Harper an important truth about men that she needs to grow by forcing her to confront the cycle of sexism and relinquish all responsibility and guilt. The cycle of misogyny is something she has absolutely no control over or role in. For as long as it’s been happening, it might as well be considered part of the natural order, which is why the green man can understand and demonstrate it as he does, and the reason Harper is blameless. I don’t think the movie is saying misogyny is inevitable and there’s nothing to be done. I think it’s saying misogyny is a problem that men have to take responsibility for and work to change. Women are actually powerless to change it, because by its nature, anything women do or say perpetuates it in one way or the other. The root of misogyny is simple contempt for women, deeply engrained in thousands of years of patriarchal society and constantly reinforced generation after generation. How can Harper be responsible for how James expressed his nature? How could she have prevented his destruction? There’s no way.
I loved the ending. So gruesome and primal and shocking. And it shows another thing: The fact that the green man isn’t a man or a woman. His giving birth to himself over and over with these same flaws and injuries perfectly demonstrates the cycle of misogyny, and how it hurts men too. Those men were traumatized and tortured
I really like y'all's take on this movie! I saw it with my sister about a week after it came out and I was SUPER confused. Meanwhile, my sister is oohing and ahhing at the meaning. She explained to me that the sculpture in church was the Goddess of Fertility and that the movie basically was symbolism for women's fertility. Let me explain. Early in the beginning, you see Harper eating an apple from the garden and the caretaker jokes that that was "forbidden fruit." Moreover, my sister explained that misogyny is rooted in the fact that men can do everything BUT give birth. If you noticed at the end, Harper's friend is pregnant which seems to be a nod to this symbolism. What I love about this community is that your theory of the movie tackling themes of grief added to my understanding of the movie. And I totally agree, this movie was not that great. The cinematography was beautiful but I feel like the storyline is too confusing. I know this seemed super jumbled, but I thought I would add my two cents! Love your reviews! I literally will watch them as soon as I finish the movie (this being the exception).
yeah, the ending was so hard to stomach, i literally had to look away. im already child free for a reason 🤢 this just gave me 5 graphic reminders of why.
also side note: does ryan have a single cinephile brother or sister? seeing you 2 get so into your thoughts about the movie was so cute! i'm definitely not jealous at all.
I personally got the biblical references in the beginning especially right away which made it make sense to me in the end. In my opinion this movie is a metaphor for the original sin. Eve was blamed for introducing sin to paradise. The main character's husband said that if she would leave him, he would commit suicide therefore also blaming her even he himself was in the wrong. And I think the male main character was a symbol for "all" men in this context (even the vicar blamed Harper for causing her husbands death), but that's just my interpretation. I saw it yesterday with my best friend and we both loved this movie so we'll definitely watch it again but I appreciate your honest review!
the highlight of my day. was waiting for this.
i really did not know how to interpret it. i feel like the writer watched previous a24 movies like the killing of a sacred deer and saint maud, put elements of those two together, and really thought he did something. but he did nothing. just a mess.
It's interesting that you wanted her to be a strong female archetype rather than a 'damsel in distress', because I interpret her not running or fighting back as symbollic of someone in an abusive relationship.
The cliché in that situation is people saying "why didn't you just leave?" and "why do you let this happen to you?"
In modern movies, some people want women characters to be strong, badass, and self assured. But in real life, we wouldn't get annoyed at a woman for not fighting back in an abusive relationship. We would pity her, and understand her.
She is literally "in distress" and feels helpless and weak. And leaving or standing up to the abuser isn't so simple. Which is why I don't think she she should have killed the husband in the end. An ending doesn't need to be uplifting and iydllic. It can be depressing and realistic.
I think why the MC don't react much towards the monster at the end is because that's the way to deal with toxic relationship. Stop caring. if he kills himself, so be it. Through out the movie the monster didn't actually hurt the MC except the driving part. All it is doing is show how much pain that MC inflict on it. Make MC feel guilt!. If MC really kills the monster. It will be like she really murders her husband, which is wrong and not helping her free from the guilt. I think what the director is going for is that the only way to walk out this trap is acting indifferent, not caring. even laugh at it
Awe love when content creators have a lil cameo of their partners. It’s just nice to put a face to “my partner” “my bf/gf”. Maybe it’s just because I’m a human 😂. Great video tho !
Oh my god the damsal part is so true. Why did her friend point out the axe in the living room if she wasnt going to use it. Thats just writing 101.
Who says she didn't use it? There was a trail of blood outside the house when the friend arrived, after all :)
You guys have the best dynamic!
Omg i was waiting for this one!!!
GURL🔥 I laughed so much! You’re perfect to each other and it’s been delightfully see you both having fun on this review
AAAAYE, Ryan is here. Nice.
Edit: I’d be equally excited if only Sarah were in the video.😭
My issue was kinda what you guys are talking about because the birthing scene to me shows the different points of history in regards to how men have been and all the aspects that every man could have. With the creature being a manifestation of God or Adam being harmless and unaware of his surroundings, the boy being the first iteration of our generation being impulsive and playful, the priest being the most judgmental and feeling as if they have the most control over others, the caretaker who is the generation that felt women need to be catered to and her ex husband finally being the current generation that are very emotional and needy. For me though why this movie fell apart was because logic goes out the window during the final act as they say harper just stands around and doesn't do anything but to me it was like a nightmare sequence or fever dream which was frustrating because it felt so disconnected to the rest of story logistically.
But there is an entire scene where she is put under a “hypnosis” state which is why she wasn’t able to do anything. Representing the control dynamic. Also, at the end, I feel it’s pretty clear after she laughs at his proposal of love, she kills him, which is why she is smiling when her friend arrives.
@@sickomobamba9619 yeah the trance thing with the spores was why I was taken out immediately because I thought it was all going to be a dream so the stakes meant nothing to me with all that happened afterwards. That's just why it was hard for me to distinguish what was real and not. With the ending she killed who? Because her ex is already dead and the other men were probably there or in her head at certain points in the final act so I was confused as to who's blood that could be. I also took her laughing with the leaf to mean that she finally understands why men do such horrible things for a woman's love after witnessing the birthing and hearing from her ex husband why he did what he did finally gave her an understanding of men in general so she smiles finally having clarity.
@@MRod774 I should have clarified when I said killed I meant like put aside her grief, like kill the idea of it. Like what you said, she understood but also I think she finally understood it wasn’t her fault, she came to the realization that this is what men do.
@@sickomobamba9619 oh okay that clears it up lol thats the one thing I've been wrapped up in was that ending just putting it in the box of reality thinking who she could've physically killed but symbolically that makes sense! I didn't even think of it that way.
So nice to see Ryan in your videos!
I saw this film a week ago, and it’s stuck in my mind ever since. There’s a ton that I REALLY love about it, mainly the performances by Rory Kinear and Jessie Buckley, the way the secluded woods and more natural color palette create a really haunting and affective atmosphere. However, this is a movie that really got under my skin, for better or for worse. While I absolutely understand what Garland was going for: a meditation of grief, trauma and cyclical abuse, and I can even appreciate how abstract, out there and bold the film is, some scenes just felt really… wrong to me. The two key examples are the scene of the fight between James and Harper where he hits her and the scene of Harper and the vicar in the cemetary/churchyard. I think my biggest issue is that while Garland is absolutely trying to condem the behaviors of Rory’s characters, there’s also this underlying theme of Harper being blamed for James’ suicide, and the scene of her and the vicar really drives that home and left a real sour taste in my mouth. I’d give it a 6.5/10 because I truly did enjoy a lot of aspects of it, but, it’s a rare miss for both A24 and Alex Garland, which is honestly heartbreaking
I fell in love with this movie! Try maybe giving it another watch, the whole film is about how it’s a man’s world and she’s having traumatic issues due to her husband killing herself. Long story short, it has to do with a lot of biblical issues, and mockery. The husband pretty much wants an apology for him killing himself, because he’s blaming his death on her and the reason she’s seeing all this stuff is because she ate an apple from the forbidden tree, think of it as Adam & Eve but with a different tone & when I say mockery, he’s mocking her for being a female as with giving birth & the circle of life etc. I give it an 8/10 it could be better in the end but I really enjoyed it 🤍
I finally watched Men and was excited to watch your review! I’m wondering if they changed the ending though? There was another scene after she comes face to face with her husband where her friend shows up the next morning to find Harper having seemingly killed the monster and come out on top.
Loved this video. More videos with Ryan!
The birth for me was acknowledging male parental roles in raising abusers rather than blaming women
Your Faculty shirt is everything. One of my favorite horror movies!
Yay! I’ve been waiting for this. My fiancé and I both loved Men. The ending was so cool.
Edit: We have opposite tastes in horror but I still like watching your reviews 🖤
haha thanks for watching anyways! 🖤
So I finally got to watch this movie and I think it was awesome! I think that she was tired of fighting and arguing explaining why she wasn’t at fault that when he sat there she just didn’t have energy for it anymore and was ready to move on with her life
I took the all the men being the same actor along with the ending showcasing for generations men have been toxic/creepy towards women. Then her finally facing her (ex?) husband at the end and not taking action against him being this symbolism of how she carries the trauma with her or even possibly the re-birthing cycle is still on going considering this is still an issue in modern society.
It's A24, we will probably never get a clear answer but there are many ways to take this film and compare it to trauma, generational sexism, abuse, and relationships.
Important !!! Also spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen it. Did you both see the ending where her friend comes back in the morning. You both seemed to say that the endihb was when the husband came back and the scene with him and the main character. But the movie ended for me after the main character sees her friend outside in the morning and it’s revealed that the friend is pregnant (symbolism idk ?) and she gives her a small smile. Idk what that means but it could imply that she killed the monster
I’m wondering if there was multiple endings or smth idk 🤷♂️
Overall I liked the movie but how convoluted the ending was kinda left a bad impression on me. Im trying to understand the symbolism but idk im prob too stupid lol 😂
Honestly as a long time subscriber who generally dislikes a lot of the movies you like, I am actually surprised you didnt like this. I really liked this movie though I did find it hard to watch at points due to my own personal experiences. I personally have never had any issue with body horror and was actually kinda happy to see it in this. I thought it was executed very well and that the metaphors within it would be impossible to misinterpret; however, it would seem that the reviewers here missed it.
Yeah when I was assaulted and didn’t fight back I felt pretty stupid too, so thanks for validating why people don’t often feel safe sharing those responses in a public setting. I’ve watched your content for many years, and I’ve never taken issue with your discussions of trauma, responses to sexual violence, etc. but this was so hurtful to see broadcasted by a creator I once respected. Perhaps you didn’t see yourself in the female protagonist of this film, but I certainly did.
love having Ryan in the video, I enjoy your back and forth 😀
Okay I definitely will put it on my list of movies to try
Maybe the title isn’t about the men in this movie, but a call to the ones who should see the movie?
I thought you guys doing a video together was awesome!!
I feel like this is the first time you’ve missed the point with the movie! :((( I don’t think he was being weird for ‘weirds sake’ I just think this movie was for people that have been through certain things and obviously it’s not something you’ve been through or you would have seen it for the masterpiece that it was
I’ve seen a few of us in the comments have picked up on the themes and nuances behind the movie, just sad you have not 😪
Jeeej! Do more Ryan on your channel!
I still have to see Men! I'm excited about it. I really loved X, Umma was meh... And I'm also excited for Bodies bodies bodies.
I have a love/hate relationship with A24 movies btw
Inverse has a fantastic article on the meaning of the Green Man and Sheela-na-gig symbols used so much in the movie, as well as what they're doing in this film.
She can't kill it because she still loves her husband despite how much of a monster he was. So we end with her defeated resigning to that reality.
You both really focused on the birthing stuff and her husband at the end, but I’d like to know what y’all thought about the actual last scene when her friend comes to the house and we see that everything that happened was real (for a while I thought it wasn’t), Harper is sitting outside, and we see that the friend is pregnant. I honestly took this literally in that Harpers husband cheated with her friend and got her pregnant, thus the cause for divorce, and the movie was Harper getting over the guilt and grief and accepted that a part of her husband was still in the world. I do agree the whole ending soured the movie, but that very last scene confused me so much.
you two are so cute together i cant
If I had to give a charitable reading for the birth sequence I'd say it was trying to say something about the perpetuation of toxic masculin behavior, but overall it doesn't sit well with me that the text of the movie seems to imply that she was responsible for her abusers death by giving the monster the injuries and that what finally alleviates Harper's harassment is... quietly sitting down? I don't think they needed to kill the monster, but some sort of confrontation or acknowledgement that Harper isn't responsible for these guys actions would have been nice
It seems, to me, like this was a story about abuse, and the cycle of abuse, and the helplessness of people unable to escape that cycle and those relationships.
I knew it would be your boyfriend as the special guest. 😂🧡 You both are amazing! 🧡🥰
Its interesting that the man in the video said the movie was a flop with two thumbs down and did not understand what was about because actually the movie is about him.
i absolutely think this was social commentary actually. im not gonna talk about if i like the artistic choices but i thought it was quite clear that it represents what a woman goes trough on day to day basis surrounded by men.
at the end the weird scene represents to me how toxic men create toxic men for example.
Loved this review!! I havent even seen the movie but I loved watching you both share your reactions!