Yesterday, I went and saw Goodnight Mommy. Made by Austrian screenwriters and directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, it was a brilliant and intelligent Psychological Thriller about a pair of twins who begin to grow suspicious of their mother, who has gone through a terrible accident, rendering her face completely burnt and re-assembled.
Or at least, that's what the film wants you to think.
The thing I loved the most about this film is not only the subtlety of it, but the consistency and metaphorical prowess. Throughout the story the characters and the environment drops subtle hints that aim to not only make your reconsider your idea of what the story is, but also shine a whole new light on what is going on. And what is even better about this is the fact that they were doing it since the beginning
***SPOILER***
The story that they are telling you is told through the lens of a boy who is failing to accept the death of his twin brother. The boy Elias, is imagining his brother as some sort of an imaginary friend whom not only shares the same dreams, but also is always speaking through Elias via whispering. The mother, who we can infer went through and survived the accident killing Lukas, the brother of the boy, is trying to get Elias to stop talking to his brother, seeing as it is somewhat unhealthy to talk to your dead brother 24/7. It can also be inferred that it is possible that the mother isn't as bad as she is made out to be in the film, seeing as we can see Lukas, yet the mother can't, allowing us to believe that we are looking through the lens of the child. The denial of the existence of Lukas by the mother ends up taking its tole on Elias, which becomes the base cause for the restriction, and later murder of the mother.
One thing that perplexed me for a while after the film was the cat, whom the boy(s) take in when the cat is sick, which goes against the mother's rule against animals in the house. The cat later dies after escaping and getting trapped behind the water heater, where we can assume that it is burnt to death (this is stretching it a bit, but I can't really think of any other explanation.) The cat is later taken by Elias, put in a tank full of some flammable material and left on the table as some sort of fetish effigy to ward off the mother. The only conclusion I've drawn is that the cat is a representation of the mother. It being disabled, trapped, then escaped and then burnt to death alongside the mother.
***Spoilers end here***
Some of the symbolism that I absolutely LOVED was that in the house, which was almost completely enveloped in what, there are paintings on the wall, all of which are of women. The women in the images though are completely blurred out. This was done to represent the fact that the boys are confused and are confused as to the identity of the mother.
In conclusion, I will say that if you do intend to see the film, I urge you NOT to watch the trailer. Not only does it make it seem as though the film is a horror movie, but it also gives away the story like it was nobodies business. Nonetheless, I definitely recommend the film and hope all of you will consider viewing the film in the near future. I give it a 9/10.
Or at least, that's what the film wants you to think.
The thing I loved the most about this film is not only the subtlety of it, but the consistency and metaphorical prowess. Throughout the story the characters and the environment drops subtle hints that aim to not only make your reconsider your idea of what the story is, but also shine a whole new light on what is going on. And what is even better about this is the fact that they were doing it since the beginning
***SPOILER***
The story that they are telling you is told through the lens of a boy who is failing to accept the death of his twin brother. The boy Elias, is imagining his brother as some sort of an imaginary friend whom not only shares the same dreams, but also is always speaking through Elias via whispering. The mother, who we can infer went through and survived the accident killing Lukas, the brother of the boy, is trying to get Elias to stop talking to his brother, seeing as it is somewhat unhealthy to talk to your dead brother 24/7. It can also be inferred that it is possible that the mother isn't as bad as she is made out to be in the film, seeing as we can see Lukas, yet the mother can't, allowing us to believe that we are looking through the lens of the child. The denial of the existence of Lukas by the mother ends up taking its tole on Elias, which becomes the base cause for the restriction, and later murder of the mother.
One thing that perplexed me for a while after the film was the cat, whom the boy(s) take in when the cat is sick, which goes against the mother's rule against animals in the house. The cat later dies after escaping and getting trapped behind the water heater, where we can assume that it is burnt to death (this is stretching it a bit, but I can't really think of any other explanation.) The cat is later taken by Elias, put in a tank full of some flammable material and left on the table as some sort of fetish effigy to ward off the mother. The only conclusion I've drawn is that the cat is a representation of the mother. It being disabled, trapped, then escaped and then burnt to death alongside the mother.
***Spoilers end here***
Some of the symbolism that I absolutely LOVED was that in the house, which was almost completely enveloped in what, there are paintings on the wall, all of which are of women. The women in the images though are completely blurred out. This was done to represent the fact that the boys are confused and are confused as to the identity of the mother.
In conclusion, I will say that if you do intend to see the film, I urge you NOT to watch the trailer. Not only does it make it seem as though the film is a horror movie, but it also gives away the story like it was nobodies business. Nonetheless, I definitely recommend the film and hope all of you will consider viewing the film in the near future. I give it a 9/10.