MovieChat Forums > Lights Out (2016) Discussion > Diana the Inconsistent Ghost

Diana the Inconsistent Ghost

posted 8 years ago by hawkinssouth
20 replies | jump to latest

Or demon, or projection, or whatever she was.

She had a physical form, she could mess with light bulbs, cut the electricity, pick people up and slam them down ... but she couldn't take Sophie's (the mom's) pills from the medicine cabinet and flush them down the toilet? She knew, too, that the pills were her enemy. A couple of times she menaced Sophie when Sophie was gonna take her meds. Why didn't Diana get rid of the meds?

Could Diana operate in shadow, or only pitch darkness? Sometimes we see her in a doorway that is shadowed, but when our heroes are only protected by flickering candlelight, that tiny glow keeps her away. Couldn't she come up behind you and spear you with her long fingers? And how did she get around? She manages to travel from Sophie's house to a warehouse, or to Rebecca's apartment -- does she walk from place to place? She seems to be able to move even in light, except invisiblely; for example at the warehouse when the lady was turning the lights on and off, and Diana would get closer. But she couldn't manipulate things in the light, only ... walk? That makes no sense.

And could she be anywhere that is dark? Like, in your shoe? In your car, crouching in the space between the dash and the passenger floorboard? Inside a closed drawer? She could be under your bed or in your closet ... but not in the medicine cabinet? It seemed to be a place where her physical form would fit, but doesn't she reach out from between the slats of a wall at one point?

Was she intelligent? Sometimes she seemed to have the intellect of a child -- scratching stick figures into the floor, or her childish determination to keep Sophie to herself. Other times she seems to have an adult intellect, to the point of setting complex traps (tricking Rebecca and Martin into going to the basement and then locking them in), or stalking the dad/husband to his work.

I wish the movie had spent more time explaining the 'rules' for Diana, and less time showing us how Rebecca didn't want to be involved with a boyfriend or family.

[–] Potty-Man 8 years ago

Agree, I was annoyed by the inconsistencies too.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (62046923) 8 years ago

Lets see here, how about you think about it and you'll figure it out? Like you seriously could not figure this stuff out even though they spoonfed us way to much?

It doesn't think. It doesn't feel. It doesn't give up...

[–] Yipyapyoup 8 years ago

We know Diana is a representation of the mother's depression and mental instability, but it has to make sense within the movie world too, and there Diana was an actual physical entity. I liked the movie but also thought it was a bit inconsistent.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (62046923) 8 years ago

[–] mickmaxy 8 years ago

Lets see here, how about you think about it and you'll figure it out? Like you seriously could not figure this stuff out even though they spoonfed us way to much?

Obviously he HAS thought about it. I also notice you gave NO explanations or theories, just childish vitriol. All the other posters were pretty much in agreement with the OP, yet you gave your view in opposition without explaining why. That means you have NO clue.

I haven't seen this flick yet, I came here to see what others thought of it.

I notice that you made spelling errors in your signature, it should read " I don't think. I don't feel. I don't grow up" You're just a sad troll with a room temperature IQ, if you had parents, they'd be ashamed of you, kid.

[–] Belforhir 8 years ago

I notice that you made spelling errors in your signature, it should read " I don't think. I don't feel. I don't grow up" You're just a sad troll with a room temperature IQ, if you had parents, they'd be ashamed of you, kid.

First off it's it not I... also http://www.traileraddict.com/it-follows/tv-spot-it-doesnt-give-up

Now on the off chance you actually knew that (although the addition of "I don't feel" doesn't really fit the point you'd be trying to make)... I'll have to say that you should also have the intelligence to see who's coming off as more of a troll (hint: It's not him)

If you wanna insult someone, try to do it right or at the very least embrace what you are.

[–] PenguinCat 8 years ago

Lets see here, how about you think about it and you'll figure it out? Like you seriously could not figure this stuff out even though they spoonfed us way to much?

I find it hysterical that you keep saying that yet add nothing to the conversation. No details whatsoever. Under the guise of. "Why should I when it is all explained?". Please. You don't really get it at all.

[–] Youaresomoneybaby 8 years ago

When i got to the part about the shoe I started snickering out loud.

[–] hawkinssouth 8 years ago

I get a laugh when I picture her trudging along the side of the road, hoofing it to Rebecca's apartment.

[–] rpressley 8 years ago

Yes, yes, no. Yes

[–] GeorgeN08 8 years ago

Perfectly agreed with your way of perception the entity's actions. I think Diana was also a little deppresive(instable) due to her desperate reactions and wanted to keep Sophie only for herself.
I could add here, to your rational list another tiny clue: why didn't Diana killed Bret? She had some chances, but, instead of that, she prefered to stare at him 👻, like a lover, compared with the speed and accuracy she killed the cop. Don't you thing?
Bottom line, it was a good movie and a mouth of fresh air in an ocean of bad-ish/ worse horror movies. Altough they could've focus more on Diana's condition and explained it better.

[–] hawkinssouth 8 years ago

Interesting ... I agree that Diana had ample opportunity to kill Bret but she didn't. We can assume she has some sort of emotions, because of her attach,net to Sophie. Maybe Diana had a crush on Bret? I think it's possible. It might give Diana a tad more dimension if she can feel desire or something.

I just hope if they do a sequel, they flesh out who and what Diana is, what are her powers and weaknesses, etc.. She and Sophie were so much more interesting than Rebecca and her boyfriend.

[–] Tyler-A-Arse 8 years ago

Was she intelligent? Sometimes she seemed to have the intellect of a child -- scratching stick figures into the floor, or her childish determination to keep Sophie to herself. Other times she seems to have an adult intellect, to the point of setting complex traps (tricking Rebecca and Martin into going to the basement and then locking them in), or stalking the dad/husband to his work.

This crossed my mind, too. She did things a child would do, since she died as a child. Yet she displayed the maturity of an adult when needed. Your other notes of inconsistencies are on point. The character was extremely inconsistent.

But as it is with most horror movies, you have to suspend belief since there are no factual rules to ghost, demons, entities, etc. Movie-makers just make it up as they go along. Kinda like in vampire movies. The rules are different depending on what movie you're watching.

[–] whitespirit26 8 years ago

Oh for Pete's sake people, there have been many characters with some childlike traits alongside adult knowledge and cunning; even people like that in real life! Diana died as a child, but lived for years afterward in ghost form; it doesn't strike you as sensible that she grew mentally? She also demonstrated sociopathic traits, such as aggressive selfishness and fierce, childlike and possessive love of her one friend (who she also manipulated). Plenty of characters alive and otherwise have showed cunning beyond their years and ghosts in stories have shown limitations; Samara from The Ring is a prime example of both these things. And no, Diana doesn't have a crush on Bret; she was about to kill him when he turned on his car lights and warded her off. She's shown she can operate in shadow, but if a character is holding a candle in front of them and awake, they can turn around and pierce her with the light anytime they want, so she tends to attack when they have no light or are asleep. If Diana had thrown out Sophie's meds, Sophie would have figured out faster that Diana didn't have her best interests in mind; Diana preferred to persuade rather than be outright aggressive with Sophie most of the time and only knocked the pills out of her hand when she was desperate.

[–] TheBeardedWonder 8 years ago

I hate movies like this. They don't clearly explain the mythology and leave everything muddled on purpose. It lets them basically do whatever they want with the ghost and we can't question it because we don't fully know 'the rules' for lack of a better word. Any time we ask ourselves 'she can do that?' the answer has to be yes because technically we don't know that she can't. It's lazy and leads to movies like this.

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

It's lazy and leads to movies like this.

Too true. They're pretty cheap to produce and by and large, cater to an audience who aren't over-critical of the writing. She takes out the cops and Paul, no trouble at all, yet seemingly has difficulties with Bec and the brat. Contrived to the max!🐭