MovieChat Forums > The Ones Below (2016) Discussion > Justin failed as a husband (spoilers)

Justin failed as a husband (spoilers)

posted 9 years ago by smokiman
11 replies | jump to latest

So your wife, from your perspective, is dealing with a lot of stress, possibly caused by postpartum depression and a history of mental illness in her family. She's begging you to stay at a hotel for two days because she's scared of the psycho couple downstairs. The reasonable thing to do in this situation, if you believe her or not, is to stay at a hotel. To deny her that relief is just cruel. You also don't leave her alone for that great deal, you just can't. I think Kate was the only somewhat likeable character in this story. Jon and Theresa were obviously complete psychopaths. Justin was a *beep* husband. He was flirting with Theresa. He believed them, not his wife, when Kate told him about the room and the photos. He wasn't there for her when she needed him.

[–] InTheHub 9 years ago

The same actor did the exact same thing in another movie (The Children)Where he blatantly ignores common sense and the person he supposedly loves to unknowingly help the evil ones accomplish their plot.

The movie was well made and well acted, but once again the writer didn't second guess a damn thing when it comes to logic or motive.

1. When the couple returned, they said clearly "We are going to have our own family". To the experienced thriller watcher, this of course means they are going to steal their baby. But to the characters in the scene, it is a line that goes unnoticed.

2. They would drag the pond and there would be no body, hence the baby is alive.

3. She was extremeley paranoid for her safety, but she doesn't think twice about drinking the milk left outside the door? REALLY???!!!

4. She could have taken a photo of the baby room with her phone, or taken the other woman's phone to preserve the evidence. But no... Modern technology didn't help in any situation when it easily should have.

5. So his wife is paranoid for her safety, he gets a call from an employer that turns out to be fake, when he returns his wife is dead, and instead of just drowning the baby in the bath she took the time to go to the pond and toss him in there. NONE of this is suspicious to the husband?

6. She called someone to come and wait with her in the apartment. They never showed up, and, again, why call someone to come if you're going to kill yourself.

7. Nothing started going wrong until the couple were back, first obvious sign.

"See it with someone you love...Go by yourself"

[–] therefdotcom 8 years ago

8. once those fuggers moved back in, every sane person would have moved out.

9. so she finds the evidence pics, yet doesn't just take it with her to show her husband, but instead sneaks out and comes back with said husband? FUUUUUUUUU.

10. of course you would give your baby to exactly those people that unjustified blamed you for the death of their kid and (the wife) lied about the events that lead to it? sure, makes total sense.

[–] bigdaddyboxmeal 8 years ago

I mean...some of these points are great and I agree with most, but...

3. She was extremeley paranoid for her safety, but she doesn't think twice about drinking the milk left outside the door? REALLY???!!!

In what world would anyone expect that their milk would be contaminated or tampered with? That's ridiculous.

4. She could have taken a photo of the baby room with her phone, or taken the other woman's phone to preserve the evidence. But no... Modern technology didn't help in any situation when it easily should have.

Pretty easy to explain this one away, she was out of her mind and absolutely beset with a mixture of anger, confusion, fear and paranoia...how in the hell would she have the presence of mind to do this?

5. So his wife is paranoid for her safety, he gets a call from an employer that turns out to be fake, when he returns his wife is dead, and instead of just drowning the baby in the bath she took the time to go to the pond and toss him in there. NONE of this is suspicious to the husband?

So a father thinks his wife is dead, runs to a pond where she frequents and sees his child's cot overturned and the baby stuff on the ground and his first thought is not going to be a heartwrenching, life-shattering outburst of emotion over the loss of his ENTIRE family...but instead he's going to think 'ooh this looks a bit off'. Mental.

[–] therefdotcom 8 years ago

"In what world would anyone expect that their milk would be contaminated or tampered with? That's ridiculous. "

imagine yourself in her shoes. those lunatics blame you for the death of their baby, which you had no part of and after all that drama, they just move back, wanting to be friends again. c'mon, in what world would you NOT be suspicious. personally, i would have moved out.

"Pretty easy to explain this one away, she was out of her mind and absolutely beset with a mixture of anger, confusion, fear and paranoia...how in the hell would she have the presence of mind to do this? "

especially in that state, you would just grab the cam, go to your hubby and scream "see? see?" at him.

"So a father thinks his wife is dead, runs to a pond where she frequents and sees his child's cot overturned and the baby stuff on the ground and his first thought is not going to be a heartwrenching, life-shattering outburst of emotion over the loss of his ENTIRE family...but instead he's going to think 'ooh this looks a bit off'. Mental. "

well, none of his previous behavior made any sense, no matter how odd things went, he was blaming his wife. And even at this point, he was still 100% sure the neighbours weren't involved? c'mon. if there were no neighbours AT ALL, i would maybe agree with you. if this was all that happened, yeah maybe. nevertheless, at it is, is behavior was absurd.

[–] Bluevelvet2 9 years ago

I wonder a bit about Justin's sleep deprivation and how it played a role in his ability to reason and to empathize with his wife.

[–] TejasNair 8 years ago

That's a great point.

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[–] cybercrash 8 years ago

yeah the husband was pretty stupid

~ TAKE the ticket!

[–] kantorka_nov 8 years ago

that's something that annoys me in general, only partly because it is so overused.
If the couples in these already slightly formulaic thrillers faced the threat as a team and at least one of them, believing or not, showed some common sense, the impact when tragedy hits would be greater, or if they manage to get out alive, the audience had more reason to cheer them on. It would be better writing altogether.
Or, if the partner fails to team up with the POV character, at least make it understandable. I am not even talking about sympathy.

But this is just another "wife is threatened, no body believes her, everyone thinks she's just anstable". YAWN

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Tabbycat (878) 7 years ago

The problem with your suggestion to go ahead and stay in the hotel is, to quote the late Gene Siskel, "Then the whole movie goes away."

"Dear, it's ONLY two days."

[–] Prelude (1443) 6 years ago

Well it's the classic gaslighting situation but instead of the husband doing the gaslighting, the other couple are setting things up that way so that the husband dismisses all his wife's concerns.

But I agree, he should have gone along with what she wanted, not just despite the fact that she seemed not in her right mind but especially because of the fact that she seemed not in her right mind. I loved it when she originally asked for them to leave the house and he instantly said yes, anything you want. But I hate that he didn't follow through on getting them right out of there.

Of course, there would be no movie if they did all the right things to get away from the other couple. :)