Posts by placidsailor18

Honestly, the book absolutely crushes it. The movie barely even touches 5% of what was actually happening in the novel.

Sent from my SM-T720 via Tapatalk

Justin Richardson7 said:Here’s the core idea behind this movie (which also explains why the uncle acts the way he does):

He (the uncle) is totally stuck; he's frozen in one specific moment of his life, trying to recreate a "perfect Christmas"—that time back when he was just a kid and his uncle would come home from working abroad with all those amazing gifts every kid dreamed of (think high-end toys, imported candy, stuff like that).

That’s the fundamental concept, and honestly, when you explain it like that, it sounds way better than the actual movie. See, even though the film isn't bad, there’s a massive issue: the creators couldn't decide if they wanted to make a psychological thriller or a satire. So, what we end up with is this satire about Americans, but it lacks a sharp edge because it relies on such vague clichés—plus, it's never really clear who these "patriots" actually are, or how they’re being controlled by some Republican Party loyalist. On the flip side, it fails as a thriller because the plot is just too over-the-top for the sake of the satire. It lacks any real "action" element; if we’re looking at it logically, the characters could have easily found a way to break free from the uncle. Some viewers were even left asking, "Wait, why didn't they just fight back?" But that's exactly the problem—the characters don't feel like real people with agency; they’re just puppets moved around to serve the satirical point.

In my book, you can't pull a stunt like that. A movie needs to know what it wants to be. If there's a message to send (and it feels like the main goal is this half-baked story about certain types of Americans), then it needs to be much more precise. You shouldn't even bother trying to force a "plot" if it doesn't fit. They shouldn't try to maintain a sense of logic if it's just going to clash with the rest of the film, yet they still made this half-hearted attempt at it here.

I’d give the film a 6+, or maybe a 7/10, somewhere in that ballpark.

There are a few good bits (for instance, that line at the end about "have your balls grown in yet" actually cracked me up—sometimes the simplest jokes are the best), and finally, we aren't stuck watching one of those famous actresses with the massive nose. This one is actually pretty decent looking. Like I said, the idea sounds great when you talk about it, but it doesn't quite land when you're actually watching it.

As for the junk, there are some totally unnecessary, forced scenes with sexual undertones, and all those generic tropes about patriots. There's no clear link between the uncle's pathology and this whole "patriotism" thing. What I mean is: the creators took a lead character with mental health issues and tried to tie him to this imaginary brand of patriotism, making him peak whenever they play some anthem like "The Star-Spangled Banner." There is zero connection between the two, but hey, they thought it was clever. Personally, I thought it was nonsense.

Also, the tone is incredibly repetitive. Whether they're forced to act in front of the uncle or they're alone, they speak and behave with the exact same energy, which just isn't believable. They should have paid attention to those details; the movie would have jumped up a few points if there had been actual transitions—like using the specific scripted lines the uncle demands, changes in vocal tone, or different behaviors. When he's gone, they should have used a more natural dialect or a different way of speaking.

All in all, it’s an interesting attempt, but it stays right where it is: just an attempt. To make something top-tier, you have to be clearer, more defined, and more serious.

They really need to move past these tired clichés. For example, the era the uncle is trying to evoke feels like 1989. That was basically the turning point for the modern Republican Party, and it seems they wanted to link those two things: his pathology and the version of patriotism tied to the party. Since the film never makes it clear—not just in the movie, but in general—what exactly is wrong with that ideology or what the real problem is, this kind of "critique" just feels like rambling. Criticizing things through vague generalizations isn't high art. And if they're going to talk about these types of Americans in such a messy way, they shouldn't be part of the same group! They need to ditch these clunky mantras about scary Republicans or the "bad Americans" sitting on everyone's backs... sitting on whose backs??!! The middle-class suburbanites???!!??

ps - They cast that Mexican guy (Manojlović) as this totally pathological uncle; they could have just gone all the way and cast a Mexican who keeps Americans under his thumb... then we'd see them rebel and tear him apart. Or, they could've left it as is, where the uncle is this patriotic American who keeps the Mexicans (his family) in line. Now *that* would've been a bit more politically incorrect and way messier! As it stands, everything feels a little muddled.

Hmm, chronologically it should probably be set in the early eighties, but whatever. I realized that Uncle clearly evokes his own childhood and his actual uncle; those gifts and visits are obviously the only bright spots in his life, and he wants to relive them. But I still don't get why it's *that* specific family. At first, I thought maybe they were paid to do it, then I figured he was blackmailing them, and I was watching the whole thing like, "Okay, where's the thriller element?" That's why I feel like the ending is missing—someone needs to dig through the aftermath to find the root cause. I'm not trying to drag modern politics into this, though. But hey, thanks for sharing your take on the movie. At least it gives us something to chew on!

Sent from my Galaxy Tab 8.4 using the Reddit app

northerncrane4 said:Why does that even matter?

Because honestly, the movie just feels unfinished to me.

Grace Sanders24 said:I could really sense how completely drained they were. It felt like Uncle had been hovering over them for forever, and they’d finally hit a breaking point where they didn't even have the energy left to physically fight him off because they were just mentally shattered from all the harassment. Once little Doe entered the picture, their whole vibe shifted. They actually started contemplating taking his life by force. ☕

I totally get what you mean.
But honestly, I'm stumped on what actually triggered all of this. Did Uncle just pick them at random to work through some deep-seated trauma of his own? Or did Mom do something wrong that he's now getting back at them for? The movie isn't bad, but it leaves you hanging without an explanation. Does anyone else have a clue what's going on?