This.
is.
NOT.
a movie about cannibalism.
No people are eaten in this movie. It's a horror movie, alright - but not about cannibals. That meat is just animal meat. The parents never kill anyone (deliberately anyway).
Watch it again.
It's a much better film once you realize this, too ...
I myself wouldn't be inclined to say that this film is strictly about cannibals or cannibalism - it's far too subtle and subversive to be preoccupied with that one particular subject - but I don't think that's the point you're trying to make here. I'm honestly curious about the line of reasoning that led you to conclude, with such evident certainty, that there is no trace of actual cannibalism whatsoever in the film. I will concede that some of what you see and hear is rather ambiguous and, subsequently, open to interpretation, and that making a clear distinction between fantasy and reality can pose a challenge at times, but, ultimately, there must be some central organizing principle in the plot, else the whole thing just collapses in upon itself in a senseless jumble. To that end, how does this become "a much better film" when the possibility that Michael's parents might literally be cannibals is eliminated? What, specifically, does the recognition, acknowledgment, or acceptance of Nick and Lily's cannibalism as a real and valid element of this film prevent us, as viewers, from appreciating to the fullest extent? What do you suggest we ought to look for or focus on, instead?
shareYeah, everyone else in the world who saw this movie agrees with you, it seems ... but I'm still sure I'm right.
In a nutshell, the movie is about a dark, neurotic, imaginative kid (with a dark, neurotic, imaginative dad), who finally cracks up entirely within the American-dream facade of 1950's life.
...
"There's one dark place that we have to be veeeery careful in. You know where that is?"
(taps temple)
Trust me, I didn't respond to your post with the sole intent of denouncing your interpretation of this film as incorrect, and I certainly don't lay claim to the authority of critical consensus. Rather, I was intrigued by your stance, so forcefully presented, and couldn't help but wonder about the thought process behind it. Accordingly, I wanted to give you a chance to outline and justify your position, not merely for my own benefit, but on behalf of anyone else who could stand to gain from an alternate perspective.
I was especially curious as to how you might account for the last 15 minutes of the film, starting from the scene where Michael and Ms. Dew enter the cellar. If one were to withhold judgment about whether or not Nick and Lily are actually cannibals up to that point, even in the face of mounting evidence, then it can be made to seem as though Michael is a very confused and disturbed little boy, perhaps suffering from paranoia and psychotic episodes. However, the sequence of events which take place afterward appears to leave no room for any other explanation. Or does it?
If you believe that you are "right," as you have already mentioned, then there must be a reason why you think this. It is only natural to expect that people, like myself, will challenge you to provide a detailed explanation of your rationale when you tell them that they are, in comparison, "wrong."
Here's your opportunity.
Meh, I was wrong. I just rewatched the end to explain it all, when I noticed one thing that undid the whole idea: you can see Mom's watch when the knife is stabbing through the door. (I had thought it had to have been the tiny kid wielding the knife.)
So they really are cannibals! :)
That would definitely have been a very interesting - furthermore, shocking - approach for the filmmakers to take. All the same, I'm satisfied with the choice they made.
Our imagination is a gift, allowing us to speculate upon an infinitude of possibilities and reflect a part of ourselves in almost everything we see. Besides which, it can be a lot of fun to rearrange the pieces set before us into new and different shapes, never knowing just what we might discover, and is often so much better than merely accepting things just as they are presented. The ability to ask, "What if...?" is a powerful one, and it's definitely to this film's credit that it both provokes and facilitates such questioning.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I had to say and respond in turn.
You also see her dress
shareThis film is the blackest of black comedies and satire about the 1950's. It makes the viewer see that within the perfection of the 1950's.... there is and was the most evil and horrors... within the suburbs of tv land style living. I think it's a brilliant bit of satire...Horror satire is hard to pull of right.
shareWhat do you mean the parents never deliberately kill anyone? They murder the social worker in the kitchen pantry...
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