This is a film about a lonely kid from a broken family who makes friends a lonely girl from a broken family and they watch a TV show about two girls who fight a monster of the weak - ala Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
One day, the girl wants to leave town because her family is abusive and she asks him to go with her and he refuses. So, she disappears...and all that is left is her broken TV in the backyard. The boy grows up and his family situation gets worse and he lives a pretty sad life with a miserable job.
Then, one day many years later, the girl comes back and tells him the TV show is real and she escaped into the TV show where she has battled the main antagonist. More than that, we learn the final episode of their favorite show had a terrible cliffhanger where the villain wins, and now, if he joins her inside the TV show they can save the day. Also, apparently our male hero IS the young woman from the show - and his entire existence is HER MIND trapped in the final episode.
Also, we see he had a repressed memory where he was almost pulled into the TV show after the final episode aired, but his abusive step father "saved" him.
Now, he has an opportunity to do something with life and set the world right. Problem is, much like when he was a kid...he refuses to go with her. She vanishes. This time for good.
So, he lives a miserable lonely life where he questions his existence. In the end, he rewatches the show and learns that it was nowhere near as good as he remembers it, but by now he is middle aged and he still works a miserable job in a fun house where third generation of kids plays with toys and games based on the TV show he grew up with...and in a moment of emotion he cuts himself open and we see that inside of him the old show he loves. He is left to wander the fun house apologizing to everyone for his emotional outburst - but nobody cares of even listens.
So...I took this film as an allegory about a failure to connect as humans and the tragedy of not being open and intimate.. but at the same time I saw that the film also could have been taken literally where he truly turns down an adventure of a lifetime and will now spend his life living with regret.
Both of those interpretations I guess are ok - but sort of a bummer. Then, I read that this film had something to do with the filmmakers non-binary identity and that the TV show represented being open about your trans identity - to which I have to say...if that is the case...it's a pretty poor allegory and could have been done in a way that was less...emo.
Anyone can point a camera at a rock and say, "This is about my trans identity." So...I hope the filmmaker was not being to crass as to do all of this drama just to say that the TV show represented being open about being tans, because that just makes no sense.
Anyhow, this was a somewhat effective film and held my interest and kept me guessing. But in the end, I was really more bummed than anything else and I think the film could have, and should have, had the kid at least attempt to go into the world of the TV because that would have given us some moments of satisfactory suspense near the final act, and instead nothing happens and the film is neither a heroic story or a tragedy but just a ...bummer.
One day, the girl wants to leave town because her family is abusive and she asks him to go with her and he refuses. So, she disappears...and all that is left is her broken TV in the backyard. The boy grows up and his family situation gets worse and he lives a pretty sad life with a miserable job.
Then, one day many years later, the girl comes back and tells him the TV show is real and she escaped into the TV show where she has battled the main antagonist. More than that, we learn the final episode of their favorite show had a terrible cliffhanger where the villain wins, and now, if he joins her inside the TV show they can save the day. Also, apparently our male hero IS the young woman from the show - and his entire existence is HER MIND trapped in the final episode.
Also, we see he had a repressed memory where he was almost pulled into the TV show after the final episode aired, but his abusive step father "saved" him.
Now, he has an opportunity to do something with life and set the world right. Problem is, much like when he was a kid...he refuses to go with her. She vanishes. This time for good.
So, he lives a miserable lonely life where he questions his existence. In the end, he rewatches the show and learns that it was nowhere near as good as he remembers it, but by now he is middle aged and he still works a miserable job in a fun house where third generation of kids plays with toys and games based on the TV show he grew up with...and in a moment of emotion he cuts himself open and we see that inside of him the old show he loves. He is left to wander the fun house apologizing to everyone for his emotional outburst - but nobody cares of even listens.
So...I took this film as an allegory about a failure to connect as humans and the tragedy of not being open and intimate.. but at the same time I saw that the film also could have been taken literally where he truly turns down an adventure of a lifetime and will now spend his life living with regret.
Both of those interpretations I guess are ok - but sort of a bummer. Then, I read that this film had something to do with the filmmakers non-binary identity and that the TV show represented being open about your trans identity - to which I have to say...if that is the case...it's a pretty poor allegory and could have been done in a way that was less...emo.
Anyone can point a camera at a rock and say, "This is about my trans identity." So...I hope the filmmaker was not being to crass as to do all of this drama just to say that the TV show represented being open about being tans, because that just makes no sense.
Anyhow, this was a somewhat effective film and held my interest and kept me guessing. But in the end, I was really more bummed than anything else and I think the film could have, and should have, had the kid at least attempt to go into the world of the TV because that would have given us some moments of satisfactory suspense near the final act, and instead nothing happens and the film is neither a heroic story or a tragedy but just a ...bummer.