14 Comments
Feb 14Liked by Noah Berlatsky

I loved this movie. I especially liked that they made her scream sound bleaty in a couple of scenes, like they were going for a sorta “goat declines to be sacrificed” vibe. Or maybe I’m reading way too much into it.

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author

I hadn't noticed that, but it seems like it could well be intentional!

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Feb 17Liked by Noah Berlatsky

I've never watched this. After you piece on Neoliberalism & Capitalism, this sounds like just where my head needs to be for a good time.

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Feb 14Liked by Noah Berlatsky

I've not seen this film, but enjoyed the analysis.

Isn't the whole choosing noble poverty a trope in itself? Isn't this what the rich want the poor to believe? Poor people are morally superior and happier, yes they are, here is your minimum wage, you wonderful soul filled people!!

Poor people aren't better than the rich, they're just have less money.

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It's definitely true that poor people can do bad things too...and in this film the poor person kills a lot of people! you're pretty much on her side, but still.

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Sure, poor people do bad things, a lot. But that's not the trope.

The message, invariably, that you're better off, and a better person, if you don't pursue money serves ... the rich. It's not even subtle.

Bonus points if you choose being poor, and accidentally end up rich, it's the reward for being a good poor person. Another well worn trope.

The problem with this particular plot is that she knew the possiblity before going in, but went ahead with the wedding anyway, and only after killing a bunch of people she decides that her husband wasn't a good pick after all. But, far worse plot holes have sustained some great films.

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fwiw, I don't think "the rich are evil and in league with the devil and it would be great if they all died" is a narrative that serves the interests of the rich! (in this case)

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she had no idea that she could get killed by her in laws! her husband didn't explain the rules till well after she drew the wrong card and is being hunted.

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Feb 14Liked by Noah Berlatsky

Oh, I got the other impression from your review. Clearly I misread something.

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yeah, i guess it's not explicitly stated in the piece, but she doesn't know about the pact beforehand.

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I don't know why I interpreted something that way, because it would have been quite a silly plot blunder. 😁

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Perhaps the rich should be getting a little skittish right now...This seems to be a new genre...Thinking 'The Menu' and the under-the-radar gem "Triangle of Sadness" and then of course, like you mentioned, the first two movies of the "Knives out" franchise...

"Eat the rich" has been around for as long as hollywood has, but the permutations lately have a particularly moral clarity and DELICIOUS violent wish fantasy behind them...The humor almost feels like a stealth maneuver...maybe it's just me

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No, mostly everyone has always hated the rich.

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Ansolutely. But what's different is the violent nature of the wishful element. One of my favorite movies is from 1930s called my man Godfrey, and it pokes fun at the rich but it doesn't quite make them out to be villains. Back then it just painted them as feckless and oblivious. The movie in the article pays homage to that treatment of the rich from that period. But with violence added.

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