Mother! Is actually insipired by how we treat Mother Nature and how God just keeps on letting his creatures destroy her and how the cycle just keeps on going in forever
Yeah the "god" character cares more about his fans / followers / worshipers than he does about the earth. Likewise, they care more about him than the earth.
@@curtiskloberdanz2512 It definitely wasn't when the director literally spelled that shit out in numerous interviews. I don't even know who's more dense, Aronofsky or the general movie audiences.
Yeah, it was obvious. Everything that happens follows books of the Judeo-Christian bible, From Adam and Eve and Cain killing Abel, to the flood, and so on. It stood out so plainly to me that it was a complete surprise when I discovered there were so many who _didn't_ get it.
I agree very much with the entries on your list, however, I feel Jacob's Ladder should have earned an honorable mention at the very least. It is visceral, frightening, and the narrative is so convoluted that it is often worthy of multiple viewings in order to fully grasp it's profound life after death ending.
Not really. I figured it out during my first viewing simply because the Vietnam scenes were all sequential, and never ‘choppy’ the way the other timelines were.
Checkout foundflix they just did a triangle explained I was waiting forever for him to explain the movie. You finally did it and I love this movie for the longest.
Kudos on explaining The Neon Demon's primary symbolic premise: a coven of witches in the form of jealous peers who will do anything to "eat" the competition in order to prevail. I found it to be a stunning film on several fronts: cinematography, score and the various other symbols noted: 1. Predatory cats, Triangles and the number "three" (all represent the coven), 2. Red (representing demonic tendencies through the characters' clothing and back-lighting), 3. Blue (used on screen each time narcissistic tendencies were displayed - Refn specifically discussed this being related to Caravaggio's artistic masterwork called "Blue Narcissus"), 4. The Moon and Eyes (of a higher power overlooking/judging), 5. Gold (the scene in which Jesse is seen as perfect by the photographer), 6. Binding during the Demon Dance scene at the party (being a slave to one's destiny), 7. Beige/White: “plain-ness” of the models prior to selection in the early test scene., 8. Strobe lighting (early in the film in red as a warning of the "demon" of vanity, and Jesse's impending danger), 9. Pink in the hotel room (virginity) encircled by Black (evil forces) when witnessing a horrific crime next door, 10. Reflective matter (including mirrors and water - showing the true self). So much more, but the point is that it is a MUCH more complex film than meets the eye at first.
Triangle is super underrated so I really appreciate Ash for including it for the first time in a top 5/10 list. I remember the first time watching it, I was terrified of large bodies of water for the longest! (Low-key still am)
I just want to say that the Uzumaki manga is a gem and highly recommended for folk who like Lovecraftian horror. I heard that the movie mentioned on the list isn't the best, but the source material is fantastic
I love love love Junji Ito, and Uzumaki is my absolute favorite of his works. The manga is absolutely worth the read for anyone who loves supernatural/"unexplainable" horror. Also, his version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is pure brilliance.
@@riceboi1164 Maybe I was just too stoned to catch all that. Thanks for your insight, though, Rice Boi. I get what they were doing. It just is a very, very weird movie.
@@beezer1225 it's an art film so itnuses metaphors to depicts its message whic is somehow about mother nature and God letting his creations ruin mother earth.
Carnival of Souls never seemed that confusing. She was supposed to die but got away. Like A Matter of Life and Death the afterlife doesn't like that and comes for its own. The strange images and experiences was the world of the death trying to take here back. She lost and took her place back in the car.
6:14 The phrase "correct interpretation" makes my soul die a little. Even if a creator means to make a work mean X thing, it cannot invalidate a participant's Y interpretation. Such is the nature of art. And even things you wouldn't consider art. If the viewer's interpretation of Carnival of Souls is that dancing in abandoned structures is so evil that it can retroactively kill you, well, you can disagree - vehemently if you like - but you can't really tell them they're _wrong._ Though, if someone tried to say that Schindler's List is about how Nazis invented the Marvel Cinematic Universe and thus are the one true religion...well, call a doctor.
@@Nocturnalux Well, yes and no. Word of God still means a lot, and certainly when it comes to things like academic analysis, general societal understanding of a thing, and as a starting or reference point can be invaluable. It can't be described as some kind of definitive "true" interpretation. In academia, this idea is called "The Death of the Author," which argues not to ignore a creator's intent, but to say that the author's intent does not _need_ to be taken into consideration for an interpretation to be valid and complete. There are arguments to be made about things like expertise making some interpretations more valid for _exposure,_ although you do start skewing very close to a meritocracy there.
@@LdNidd I was just about to launch into the exact same discussion. Personally, though, I prefer a Schrodinger's Author approach - the author is both living and dead, and it's your interpretation that decides their final state. Since an infinite number of people may have an infinite number of interpretations, the author functionally ceases to exist and the work becomes an artifact of chance. Believe it or not, I was totally sober when I just wrote that.
@@smileypsyykotic3706 Interesting approach, I really like that. I'm not sure it's actually _that_ different in concept from current literary theory (boy that sounds f****** pretentious, sorry), but it's a really clean and easy way to describe and explain it. Sobriety should only factor into matters of safety or the ability to replicate something. On matters of epiphany or expression, it's at best a minor concern. Though I say this as someone with really severe migraine disorders and a small pharmacy's worth of meds I take, so a take it with a bit of salt. Or opium. Whatever floats your boat. (I'd like to make it known I am not endorsing drug abuse.)
If you liked Triangle, then there is another similiarly awesome movie called Dark Floors. Which was released coincidentally on the same day as Triangle :D
@@bryangarcia5599 I think that IDC. I'm saying it shouldn't be in this list because plenty of people understood it, especially if they had bothered going to Sunday school.
Such a great film, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Personally, I took it as the grass essentially having a kind of sentience with the ‘lost’ becoming its sustenance. I think this works so well as in the wind, tall grass almost whispers to you when stand in it..
its pretty much a time loop and you can only get out if you touch the rock because it shows you how to get out but when u touch it you dont wanna get out i thinkk
The description of "Testsuo: The Iron Man" reminds me of "Crash" (no not that one, the earlier one with James Spader, Holly Hunter and Rosanna Arquette). It was directed by David Cronenberg.
@Yog-Sothoth And based on the novel by J.G. Ballard. (To be honest, though, having seen _Tetsuo,_ I’d say it’s got a bit more in common with _Videodrome,_ or even _eXistenZ,_ than _Crash,_ at least visually. Also a bit of a _Scanners_ vibe, what with the whole ‘duelling superpowered masterminds’ trope, and certainly some strong parallels to Cronenberg’s _The Fly,_ in regards to the gradual-and-increasingly-horrific transformation aspect.) Love the username, by-the-bye.
Doubt ALL of them.. possibly a few movies people may think they have a grasp on. ANTICHRIST is a weird but great movie. But it's not too hard to fully understand .. a lot of. These I've never seen, so I skipped the segment in order to go and watch them.
All of these movies were amazing, I'm deeply saddened that you didn't quite understand them for what they were. But it's not on you to get it . They're just movies
No mention of Lost Highway? Mulholland Drive? I mean, I suppose you could make another list with just David Lynch movies. The dude loves telling a story that views like a fever dream.
Bit surprised The Endless isn't on here. I understood it pretty well (after a couple viewings of course because no one catches everything the first time let's be honest), but I know a lot of people who left that theater were extremely confused and not sure how to process it. Excellent movie - definitely worth a watch if you like Eldritch horror, early Silent Hill games, or eternal repeat scenarios like Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Jonny Worldbeater I agree!. I mean it can be a multitude of things but I don’t know how people can’t understand it. The symbolism was perfect and even if you aren’t religious it should be understandable. But it’s not for everyone and that sucks because I think it’s a rough movie for sure but it’s so deep and a great movie
Personally, I liked Mother!. The baby-eating scene was a bit much, but I love the message of the movie. Our planet is fxcked, & it's mankind's fault completely.
How did people not understand Mother!? It's painfully obvious, and though interesting in some moments it's hardly a concept that warrants a Hollywood movie. More like a highschool play rehearsed in secret and performed as a "subversive" surprise to parents and teachers forced to attend.
I honestly don't know how triangle would make this list and Hereditary didn't! Triangle was at least pretty much cleared up at the end (for me at least) Hereditary end made me say... WTF was that even supposed to be?!?!?! Stupid and stupid. Oh.. and STUPID
hereditary is just witches who made a pact with the devil to have immortality and the pact is to give a boy as an offering (well exactly like Paranormal Activity)
Falling asleep to twin peaks gave me a very very very real vivid dream about a a dead girl in plastic washed up on a beach and a ghost train. I'll never forget it
Martyrs. It's all about those final few minutes. What did the lead protagonist say that caused those final scenes? An otherwise relatively straightforward (if gruesome film) leaving a final thread untied to provoke further discussion.
i hope yall watched the french version (the original one) because i watched the 2 versions (the french and the american remake) and i swear the remake is so bad they censored EVERYTHING
Number one: The Cube. For me, it was even boring how unexplained it ended up being over 3 movies! I kind of hated it bc it relied on paranoia, to keep you on your seat, but it failed to communicate anything in the end. It was like big hollywood resources without substance.
Which is hilarious, since part of the reason Cube is the way it is comes from the old shoestring budget. It was independently made, with no resources to speak of. And, in the first movie, part of the horror stemmed from the fact that there ISN’T any real logic - that the cube exists because someone made the time and budget to build it, but then the people behind it can’t admit that it’s useless or pointless, so they HAVE to keep putting victims in… that it IS basically pointless, is kind of the real horror, at the core. It’s existential horror, packaged into a gore-fest
5:11 - Well technically she never *actually* escapes the loop at all, she just breaks away from the loops taking place specifically on the ship. Though there are some interesting questions. Jess is the main focus, I sincerely doubt the other characters are being punished, they're just facsimiles whose deaths haunt Jess. Like I said in my video, the "bleeding" Jess is an interesting contrast to the character we see, and without seeing the events play out from different character's perspectives it begs some questions. Like, is this a set of scenarios that play out where all the pieces happen to fall into place where the specific situations will repeat indefinitely? Or is this merely a look into one specific "Jess'" one specific journey? Is the "bleeding" Jess a product of being stuck on the ship and enduring various encounters? Or is she actually *cognizant* of the grander loop and is trying to save her son and break out of the process entirely? Or is she perhaps representative of Jess' more aggressive and violent side that crops up whenever she got frustrated with her son? Questions, questions, questions... (That I'm fine not having the answers to)
Hahaha U so funny. Absolutely hilarious comment man. Got an unbelievably great laugh from it. Thank you so much for your funny comment. You're a funny guy
I haven't watch Uzumaki, and probably never will because the manga is just perfect, and also is an apparently more faithful black and white anime adaptation coming soon, so I would wait for that But I think a good word to explain it is "lovecraftnian horror" (sorry for the bad english)
Please add Lake Mungo. I just can’t understand the hype about this movie being so terrifying and creepy. It was annoying slow paced; numerous ridiculous subplots and a less than fanfare ending.
WhatCulture: I have seen three of these movies. Triangle, Carnival of Souls, and The Neon Demon. I will comment some more when I've figured them out. I believe the hardest one to figure out would be Triangle, and the other two should be a lot easier.
A girl enrolls in a school shes not aware thats filled with witches and becomes a witch herself, in fact, the most powerful witch that the school prophesized.
@@michaelj1729 But the Mother Suspiria seemed to always be a part of her. Did she knowingly work her way in, or was she awakened? And why was the old man also played by Tilda Swinton? Was that just an artistic decision? There are stranger films I suppose, like Eraserhead.
If you like Triangle (mind you, I haven't seen it yet), I'll wager you'd like 2006's Salvage. A young woman is in a loop where every day she is brutally murdered by a stalker. There is a mindf*** of a twist ending that leaves you scratching your head and cheering it at the same time. It's depressing and tremendous all in one.
Holy crap I'm a huge David lynch and twin peaks fan, and there are so many scenes that made me so uneasy and almost feel sick to my stomach and I just saw why, in this video you see the mom knitting the light is on her right side so the shadow should extend away to the left yet there is a dark shadow going towards the light, that is so twisted and strange and will make the viewer so uneasy, lynch is a genius
I'd add The Descent. Uncut version. You think you know what's going on, but the ending throws everything out the window. And, of course, there's Brain Dead with the two Bills (Paxton/ Pullman). You are constantly surprised at where it is going, but at the end, I don't think it is really possible to piece together. Still that feeling of, "Oh, NOW I get it it....oh, wait" makes it joyously rewatchable.
From the comments, looks you'll need a second list on this topic. You should include the Shining. It doesn't seem too confusing on a first watch (which is why it probably isn't on this list) but the more you dive into it the less sense it makes.
I absolutely love Carnival of Souls! It's a masterpiece in atmosphere and creating chills without resorting to blood and gore. Sadly, they don't make movies like that any longer.
Mother! was the most pretentious load of bollocks I've ever seen. I thought Neon Demon and Antichrist were shite as well. I love The Beyond. If you ever do a follow up, a good one is Messiah of Evil (1973) which is a great little head scratcher. Lets Scare Jessica to Death is another good one as is Fulci's City of the Living Dead
Twin Peaks IMO was not confusing, nor was Fire Walk with Me once you understand the metaphors being used by Lynch. Bob does not exist, he is a simple construct which represents the human ID or those dark forces within human nature. The FBI agent does not really exist either as he represents the good in humanity. These two forces struggle throughout the series until Bob possesses the FBI agent in the end which represents evil and savagery triumphing over good. This is even more obvious in the movie where the FBI agent (Chris Isaak) is killed right off. In FWWM Bob is primarily the fathers dark, incestuous side, nothing more, nothing less.
Ash ash ash. Mother! portrays the entire bible and what religion (Christinity) has done to Earth and mankind. There’s Kane and Able, theres a flood, there’s God, there’s God’s son, sacrificing that son, the LOT! And God is portrayed as loving of his creation (Mother Earth) but also loving of human kind in a self-serving manor. Therefore human kind takes over and essentially drains Mother Earth until God is forced to start over. There you have it.
1:10 Tetsuo The Iron Man 2:03 Mother! 3:12 Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me 4:17 Triangle 5:23 Carnival Of Souls 6:22 Hollower 7:23 The Neon Demon 8:23 Uzumaki 9:12 The Beyond 10:03 Antichrist
I remember watching “Bird box” and wondering if the meaning was just going right over my head. Also, apparently Annihilation counts, since very few people seemed to understand that it was an allegory for trauma, pain, and loss, instead focusing on “teh alieums”
