I'm flattered you would be interested enough in what I wrote to ask for help understanding it, but alas, if you were really that interested, you would have gone to the trouble on your own to pick apart my rambling thoughts and sprinkle paragraphs here and there, but then again, if you were capable of understanding what I wrote, you wouldn't need paragraph marks to guide you, but according to that reasoning, you are knowledgeable enough to realize that paragraphs will likely help you interpret the message I attempt to convey.
I watch many movies of this ilk, and I enjoyed this movie, but not as much as, say, "It Follows" or some of the others mentioned that are considered allegories or parables (which I may or may not agree with). I'm not sure how to classify this one tho. Are we to assume the mother and her addictions and lack of mothering skills represent the "Monster?" Or is this more of a literal monster. Neither way seems to make sense.
The mother states at one point "you are why I'm here," among other statements that lead me to believe the mother wants to die or commit suicide for the benefit of her daughter. She is "giving" her daughter to the child's father and essentially abandoning her. This is just another form of suicide. The mother realizes there's little or no chance for her to recover so she wants to give the child to the father rather than continue to drag her down into the abyss that is her own.
But love transcends the boundaries of hatred the two may have for each other. The mother also states at one point that she will die very soon anyway whether or not she stays behind to be with her daughter or goes out and confronts the monster (her addition? or another type of monster?). She exhibits great bravery (or stupidity) at several points. To me, that means she's ready to die and even welcomes it.
But there are flaws. Why would the tow-truck driver park so far away from their car and not leave his hazard lights on--especially on a dark road in the pouring rain? It wouldn't happen. Does the tow truck driver represent past help she has refused. And who in their right mind would relinquish their belongs to a creepy (but nice) tow-truck driver knowing they plan to stay in the car.
Horror is all about the unknown, and therefore my favorite, and I declare the best, are the ones that leave more unknown than known. But this movie is a little schizophrenic. When I ponder what might be going on my imagination stagnates and falls asleep quickly. It doesn't keep me wondering hours or days or weeks or more after I've left the theatre, and it doesn't leave me with the desire to rush back the the theatre a second time so that I can relive those horrific feelings that movies (and books) of this genre give us that we love so much.
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chriscoates
8 years ago
*SPOILERS*
the monster isn't a physical manifestation of the mother and her troubles - it's a manifestation of the abuse and now abandonment felt by THE GIRL.
despite all the horror of the mother's addiction her daughter still loves her, but now she's also being sent away - and she snaps.
the people who die are actual people who die. the girl is the one left standing and is the one who kills the creature because she decides she doesn't want to be carrying that pain around with her, and she doesn't deserve to.
so the way i see it the cops will show up and find what looks like a frenzied bear attack, and will have a bunch of questions they'll never have proper answers to.
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"...needless to say, I had the last laugh."
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