It was the most trans movie I’ve ever seen and I don’t know what to do with it.
spoilers
I cried when she aged twenty years instead of going back. And I’m pretty sure the ending means she never went back. What a heartbreaking movie.
I was also really struck by usage of tv screens to act less like corrupting forced and more like windows into people’s essences. The idea that TVs are corrupting the youth is so pervasive even now that the usage confused me at first. I remember seeing the scene from the trailer where the main character is being pulled into the tv, remembering that scene while watching the movie and thinking, “wait, they’re gonna somehow make me root for that happening?”
I think there’s an interesting subversion of delusion happening in general in the movie. In most other movies, but big reveal in the bar would be framed like someone losing their mind. But instead it plants genuine doubt and manages to convince the audience that the world they’ve been inhabiting is not real.
I’m not absolutely devastated like so many people have been but maybe I hyped it up in my head. I managed to avoid spoilers. But emotionally I had heavy expectations for it. I also can’t get it out of my head. It’s just swirling around in there.
I don’t know how anyone can watch it and not see the transness of it, but apparently some people do.
I really appreciate the response! Looks like We're All Going to the World's Fair is next on my list. I wasn’t familiar with Schoenbrun before this, so it’s good to know that some of this is common in their other stuff and that scene is a bit more hopeful than I’d initially thought.
I suppose I can see how someone would take the movie at face value at first.
spoilers
But I also saw this film all over trans TikTok, clocked the pink and blue lighting theme quickly, and ended up thinking that Owen would turn out to be trans within the first couple scenes. Like I said originally, I managed to avoid explicit spoilers, but definitely went in with some expectations.