MovieChat Forums > The Reflecting Skin (1990) Discussion > Could it be that Seth was the real kille...

Could it be that Seth was the real killer?

posted 16 years ago by watchamacallit
15 replies | jump to latest

maybe i saw too many films in my life. especially ones with twist ending. there was obviously no twist ending here, but there were lots of little things suggesting that perhaps Seth is responsible for those murders. first of all his dad. a sad old man that got pushed around by his insane wife for years. in the film we see him drinking gasoline and setting himself on fire with seth watching. a couple of scenes earlier we see Seth in his bedroom using matches( which look exactly like the ones his father used) to light up a lamp. twice. and then he hides them under his bed.
second thing that strikes me is that all of the bodies were found right outside of Seth's house. the only body that wasnt found there was the one of his redhead friend. the one he had a big argument just minutes (film minutes)before.
another thing is that we are never told how exactly all those poeple were killed. does it have anything to do with the giant whale spear Seth got from the vampire lady? it must serve the story somehow.
that gang in the shiney black car seemed totally disconneted to the time and space of that tiny little town. they dont belong and it's like nobody but Seth sees them( i am aware the the vampire lady does talk to them right before she gets in the car). when he first sees them he pumps gas in their car but they dont pay him. so odd.

"Holy Banana's, It's a girl's Leg!"

[–] PinkAnderson 16 years ago

No way. It's obvious to me that the killers are the guys in the black car.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rob2661 15 years ago

Possibly. They seem at best metaphoric. They ask Seth if he's going to come with them and he says not yet.

His letting Dolphin go with them without warning does make him guilty of something if not out and out murder. Murder by omission? That's if they are real people and not just Seth's imagination of his own murderous actions.

The whole thing reeks of pretentious forced on symbolism/ambiguity.

[–] timmy_501 15 years ago

That makes sense and it would explain why he didn't tell anybody what he had seen when the red haired boy was abducted.

Dear Mom, I put a couple of people in Hell today...

[–] XSIV4C 12 years ago

watchamacallit, you are correct. Seth was the killer. that was not even made ambiguous in the movie. it was very clear. he was a mentally ill child of mentally ill parents. hence, the screaming at the end. i am not sure what Seth's diagnosis would have been. he may have been too young to diagnose. he seemed psychotic though as evidenced when he started tearing up Dolphin's room for no apparent reason.

[–] heynineteen 12 years ago

SETH WAS SO SICK HIS MOTHER WAS TRYING TO CURE HIM, BY FORCING ALL THOSE GLASSES OF WATER DOWN HIS THROAT. A HOME REMEDY NO LESS???

[Kilgore:] "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. The smell, you know, it smells like[sniffing], Victory..."

[–] Rastaruca40 10 years ago

I thought the same thing. No one noticed a car full of "Greasers" kidnapping children? It has to be Seth. The first opening scene is of him torturing an animal, a clear sign of a serial killer.

[–] Taravilyaion 10 years ago

a sad old man that got pushed around by his insane wife for years. in the film we see him drinking gasoline and setting himself on fire with seth watching. a couple of scenes earlier we see Seth in his bedroom using matches( which look exactly like the ones his father used) to light up a lamp. twice. and then he hides them under his bed.

I don't think you can hold Seth responsible for that.
The dad did that all by himself, unless Seth had telekinetic powers.
Also, his dad was the only one who stood between him and his vicious mother.

"Gar nicht so übel, du kleine Schlampe. Man sieht sich immer zweimal, Kleine."

[–] Arnie_Partition 9 years ago

This only occurred to me after the film ended, but I think you're absolutely right. Another clue you forgot to mention was the scene just before Dolphin's 'abduction' where the dead baby is clearly telling Seth to kill her.

Point them with the sticky end.