hnhnyc

I went back to this a year after I stopped watching when it first debuted. I love all of Mike Flanagan's work, the acting is always phenomenal. It's not his best, but it may be worth it for you.

If you haven't caught Flanagan's blog post about what Season 2 was supposed to look like-or the article about it-spoilers are below (more like explanations). BUT. A few thoughts first:

1. I'm seeing a lot of "who is this for?" on streaming platforms with movies and series trying to somehow appeal to both YA and Adults, so it dips into each, and just creates confusion, frustration, boredom and likely manages to traumatize some teens.

2. Midnight Mass was 7 episodes. Man do I wish this were the same. So much repetition: Stories about not being able to change your fate, stories about what happens after, stories about what's going on between characters.

3. It felt like with these 'midnight' stories, he was trying things out. What if Mike Flanagan did a sci fi story? What if he did a detective story? Le Sigh.

3. Did anyone feel like they were literally watching his film Dr. Sleep/the Shining? The old music, the scary old lady in the bathroom, the long hallways, the redheaded woman in the woods who's very earthy but secretly has an agenda thats not great (this was so on the nose I couldn't believe it)....and on and on and on. If you need confirmation of this, the episode end that keeps zooming in on the photo of Julia James is a direct duplicate of the ending to the Shining. To be fair, if YA's haven't seen the movie, they won't catch it.

4. None of these kids look sick, they're bouncing around, leaving the hospice....did anyone in production know what a hospice was? It's pretty fast in terms of how long you're there, too. Why not just call it a residence?

5. There are so many repetitive stories and sentiments that you wonder if he was contractually obligated, and had to fill a bunch of stuff in. It's not always the director/writers fault-studio execs will flub stuff up.

6 . When you reach the halfway mark, you really have to decide if you're going to stay with him for an entire other half.

7. Again, not sure if he thinks he's catching anyone in confusion, but I always knew when it wasn't real and when it was a dream, or a fantasy, even when he wants you to think it's real, for ex, with a cold open.

8. The male janitor and the doctor-the only other adults there, it seems-really stuck out to me as being important characters, like in the Shining, almost like Smitty. I did notice that the janitor was only seen there after someone died.

9. Oh gosh, the sick kid porn. Please. Can we leave this behind with the handful we had thrown at us a decade ago? 10 years is not enough distance, and yet, we get it for 10 episodes, pretty much.

OK, here's where explanations and spoilers start!

1. Julia-do you really not think this identical woman living off the land like a gyspy is Julia Jayne? Who wouldn't know off the bat? Is it meant to be that obvious to us, but not to her? Thats just frustrating.

2. As soon as I realized only Ilonka and Kevin could see the 'Cataract Woman' and 'Mirror Man' , I realized they'd both been there before. There was the confusion about 'he and she' that also shows its hand. The visions of the old hallway, the old music....again, with so many Shining tip-offs, this is inevitable. But why are they scary looking!?

SO. Turns out, they are the reincarnated souls of the people who built the hotel which was turned into a hospice. His soul is in her, her soul is in his, and they meet each other as soul mates and know they'll find each other. Why that means the visions are terrifying, I'll never know. Here's what I did know: Flannel nightgown, you guys. Kevin wore it, the Cataract woman wore it-its easy to put together, and I was also glad it was validated with more context. The backstory they were going to share in season 2 would have explained the heartbreaking reasons why she's wondering around and saying she's hungry, why she's in the basement, why her eyes are how they are: she got dementia in her older age, and would forget to feed herself, refuse to leave the basement, etc.

3. What the heck happened with the Julia storyline? I felt like she was just cut out, but, the explanation is actually there-she wasn't really cured when she was younger, just misdiagnosed (convenient) and got sick again, so she needed to go back to perform the ritual, which, if you observed the bloody thumbprints on her own forehead instead of Ilonka's, is a giveaway-however, whether or not Julia did intend to also heal Ilonka is unclear, and I'm fine with that. I love her diabolical deranged smile as she goes up in the elevator. And in a way, we know what happens-the ritual won't work or her this time.

4. The shadow actually isn't a bad thing-apparently it's there to reassure you that you'll be ok...because it's you? Okey dokey. I'll take 'comfort in death.' It showed Anya what her life would have been, and it was depressing. I knew it wasnt real because if you had a zest for life and survived, it would either be the existence of a lifetime, or just as depressing. The shadow showed her this and so she felt ready to go.

5. Dr. Stanton is the daughter of the crazyyyy cult lady-the original-and helped everyone escape. She is a good guy. The tatoo shows she was there, and the bald head is the irony of her going through chemo for cancer as well. AND-looks like she was supposed to beat it and live, creating complicated feelings around what she does for work.

6. Yep, the janitor is the angel of death, only there when people die. Not sure what's up with the orderly/nurse, but, I did wonder if there was a time loop situation going on where the Janitor was an older version of him. The hourglass symbol offers a lot in the way of possibility.

My only lingering questions: in her Healer story, why would Ilonka's mom have saved a strange girl's life if she knew it meant abandoning her daughter!? What! We didn't know enough about this for it to make sense, only to later set up a scene where she saved Anya. But still. Why?

I assumed this was self contained, as all his other series were-I think we all got that same sinking feeling when we realized there were only 15 minutes left on episode 10: we weren't going to get any answers.

Which means, as always, please stop leaving things for an assumed Season 2, or a sequel, that never happens. Do your strongest work in a contained series or movie, which I've loved each and every one of, but cutting a few totally uneccessary episodes and replacing them with an episode that can deal with allllll of the above would have been the way to go.

I kept with it as a compelling binge watch, but was slowly dragged through a ride that had some great moments, but abruptly stopped before the best part-but because there is so much else offered here-here but not here? ;) - it's not a waste.

Some people may not guess it, some may, and some may just watch a movie without thinking about all the possibilities the whole time (lol).

At the end of the day, this was really about Benicio, Del Toro, who I've never liked before, but who somehow carried this entire movie, with his quiet demeanor, expressionless face, and calculated movements.

I also love how realistic it felt, police interrogations are slow, interrogation rooms are plain rooms with no windows, the morgue, etc.

The beginning definitely keeps you guessing: there are tons of suspects, and the rule is always, "who are they taking attention off, who's in the movie that's not quite being explored or considered, and as soon as he wrapped that tape around the coke, I knew something shady was going on...

We knew there was drug money being funneled, we also knew Allen was somehow rich despite his job, we've seen his house, and then, of course we see the Chrysler, right after I told my husband, he's funneling money to him as well and that's how he can afford the operation.

When he handed the hard drive to the chief, I knew, oh man, he wants to see how high up this goes...

The thing I wasn't expecting was for Allen to tell him to leave, then get shot himself. I wouldn't say it was a shock, but I still enjoyed the acting and tension afterwards-what were they going to do in these final minutes?

I would've loved to have things tied up a little bit more with Michael Pitt's character-how did he know all of this, and why was he being such a lurker- but mostly I just can't believe I recognized him from Hedwig (lol), he looks like a different person and did a great job.

From the beginning, I said, "I hope they're not gonna go with " the husband/ lover did it, and I'm glad that ended up being more complex.

Also: nostalgia overload, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Silverstone, the mom from Titanic, I felt like I was in the 90s again watching all these people as a kid.

I also love how it ended, there's uncertainty, but you still know what's gonna go down. And I always wonder, how are you gonna have to deal with this mess, that's gonna be a pain in the ass with IAB, how do you get evidence of what's going on to prove you're not in on it.

It was extremely smart to keep Wally alive...you need some sort of proof when it's you and three extremely decorated respected members of the force shot dead.

Nicely done.

This was seriously incorrectly categorized as comedy, and that must be frustrating for such a talented filmmaker! If you send people in expecting comedy, it's instantly disappointing.

The laughs are intense when they hit...but this is a movie that moves through a familiar setting like it's a haunted house full of scenes of the subtly grotesque. There's intense claustrophobia, a constant guessing game at subtle nods and possibilities (who's hiding what? How did who meet who)? Craziest of all, you feel trapped there with them. You don't care if they're likable or good or bad people. You just want her to get out of there.

I really didn't know what this was about and went in pretty much blind, so I was waiting at every turn to see what was going to be revealed next.

BTW, I wish my mom was 1/20th the mom in this movie was in literally almost every scene, especially the end. If you have a mom like that, you are seriously lucky.

Excellent acting, gripping suspense, almost painful tension, massive suspense, and a touch of relatability.

I literally was captivated.

This was seriously incorrectly categorized as comedy, and that must be frustrating for such a talented filmmaker! If you send people in expecting comedy, it's instantly disappointing.

The laughs are intense when they hit...but this is a movie that moves through a familiar setting like it's a haunted house full of scenes of the subtly grotesque. There's intense claustrophobia, a constant guessing game at subtle nods and possibilities (who's hiding what? How did who meet who)? Craziest of all, you feel trapped there with them. You don't care if they're likable or good or bad people. You just want her to get out of there.

I really didn't know what this was about and went in pretty much blind, so I was waiting at every turn to see what was going to be revealed next.

BTW, I wish my mom was 1/20th the mom in this movie was in literally almost every scene, especially the end. If you have a mom like that, you are seriously lucky.

Excellent acting, gripping suspense, almost painful tension, massive suspense, and a touch of relatability.

I literally was captivated.

I like dark humor. I like Raunchy. And this movie had a lot of promise and the laughs peppered in were big ones for me-I just wish that there were more of those and fewer problematic tropes and references that weren't worth the risk.

Every time I burst out laughing, it wasn't long before something totally not ok happened, like a joke about school shootings (this is "sometimes" set in the early 2000's, and sometimes the 70s? Wtf?), another about terrorism, and ongoing plot points around homemade bomb making. Nostalgia doesn't extend to trauma, at least not in a comedy who's key demo is teenagers, and especially not in 2023, at a time where the country is facing a gun control/mass school shooting crisis.

Beating a girl almost to death (btw, where are the faculty and/or any sort of law enforcement literally at all throughout this movie?) in front of a stadium full of teen spectators is disturbing, and so is the message that calling people "ugly gays" is harmless (Teens really do imitate what they see in these movies). I don't enjoy seeing girls being abused, no matter who's doing it; even if they're doing it to each other.

Look, it's entertaining, it's gross, and it keeps you guessing-IF you want to ignore the obvious. If you do, there are lots of potential killers and motives. If you're a real horror fan, you know Patrick Dempsey was in Scream 3....and also, you guys, it's Patrick freaking Dempsey alongside a bunch of no-name kids! What part do you think he's playing!? He was also super calm throughout the whole movie while investigating what would be one of the most gruesome public cases to hit any town anywhere. He's not only calm, but gentle, sweet, pretty even-keeled, i.e. Not so much like a top cop looking for a serial killer. Also, gotta love that last year's Scream 6 (or Scream 2, whatever they're calling the "starting over" installments) also featured 'the sheriff' as one of the killers. And, as In Screams 1-7, the killer/s always tell you, to your face, "Don't trust anyone, don't trust the love interest, dont trust me' and it's always (#sorrynotsorry for the pun) dead on.

What a nightmare.

This should've been scrapped.

She doesn't even pick up what he's putting down half the time-short answers, flat out no's...the episode is a cold violent jolt out of the deliriously funny high carried created by the episodes that preceded it.

Joyless, humorless, except for Will, who's trying; it's very hard to bring down a room he's been working, but somehow she manages.

There are even moments where she's captured just gazing off, almost weary, maybe dazed?

If you have to rely on dog poop jokes as your best material...there had to be legal or logistical reasons this was kept in.

Okay guys. Stop with "nothing new." Same old? Same old slasher film where a lurking, terrifying looking old lady craving things we've probably never seen in this type of character before shows up in the CREEPIEST places bugging us the F out? Same old where she dances that haunting dance during THAT scene?

The killing isn't random and done for the sake of it. The juxtaposition between the two female leads is even moving at one point and quite sad. She has clear motive and at the same time she doesn't, because really, can you rationalize most of what's deranged? The ending does beg certain questions, but this was so bat s**t crazy that for the first time ever, having seen pretty much almost all of the horror movies IMDb has logged starting in 1959, I didn't feel it mattered. They REALLY go there. Typical slasher film sex scenes? I don't think so-wait til the end, my friends. Never seen THAT sex scene before. This one's staying in my head for life.

The old woman's origin story as a prequel handles many questions about motive, and with a third installment on the way, I can see this being a successful franchise that hopefully stops at its peak.

And, it's full of various thematic meaning and elevated tropes....along with great acting and some visual stunners...if you missed it, watch again.

Nobody has mentioned this yet, but stop reading if you don't want to know the end.... I think Dallas Roberts, his "uncle" is actually his father. He sings it at you right at the end and looks meaningfully at that kid, the only one who understands him. That's why he understands him. Vomiting, messing up at the recital, acting out are symptoms pointing to ptsd in a child. He also acts unusually affectionate towards his sister in the beginning which I flagged. I think Joshua is actually his son and that's why the last time we see Sam Rockwell he's telling Michael McKean that he doesn't know the full story. Especially if with that song...they tried to love me and save me but they should've saved themselves....who was abusing Joshua? If we're to believe that conclusion, it's entirely possible the incest continues between him and his uncle or that his mother was abusing him but we don't find out. That's because the abuse runs deeper. Anyway that's my take.

Even in a piece of garbage, you can't help but watch Michael Shannon be Michael Shannon. Every other review on here just about covers it-slow paced, lots of crying, confusing scenes and storylines without any explanation, unbelievable characters and unrealistic scenarios, a dangerous slew of implications about postpartum-but here's what really got me: the toys disappearing and the wardrobe she wasn't supposed to open were because 2 boys, who turn out to be Michael Shannons brothers? (dude always looks like he's 60 years old, for the last 30 years) who were 'left out of the police report' were taking them. I mean first of all, that's a neat trick, with only 3 children left after the murder suicide. Why were ghost kids left out of the report? Obviously if this happened 40 years ago they wouldnt still be kids, as they appear to Emma Roberts. So, in summation, the one star goes to Michael Shannon taking care of ghost kids. Thats my best guess. Epically failing to land the Brahms in the walls (The Boy) storyline. Emma Roberts is not cut out to be a producer, just an actress playing unlikeable characters. The best thing she did was 'Unfabulous' on Nickelodeon when she was a kid. Anyway, what a mess.

I love Disney. I love the ride. I love a good, fun, silly and mindless movie. The first 30 minutes land, the rest is just a confused and bland mix of recycled plot lines and scenes pulled right out of The Mummy, Moana, and Pirates of the Caribbean. I expected some charm and cheesy jokes, setting a super low bar for this one, and I truly couldn't wait for it to be over. The dynamic between Blunt and Johnson was forced and bland. It was a downhill cringe-fest that didn't know it's audience (Kids? It's got some pretty violent and intense moments.) There were a lot of good reviews on here, so I thought it'd be fun, but I kind of couldn't wait to get off the ride-I guess I should have taken the emergency exit through one of the plots gaping plot holes.

Everyone has varying opinions here, about what does or doesn't hold up, what did or didn't work, and all of the plot holes. But nobody mentioned this key second "twist," which the filmmakers shouldn't have stuck in the credits: a pair of offscreen arms snatches up the book from the "crime scene." If you think about it, Sheriff Good's brother is still alive, and therefor the curse could continue...uh oh, here we go again! Although, it would have made sense if his brother was the one in the car that randomly got hit by a truck at the end... for seemingly no reason, right? Sadly this is unclear. Ah well.

Not sure how much more obvious it could have been. The lines like "I could stay here forever" and "I would swap places with you" and his clear infatuation with David. She hovered hesitantly in the same archway Rob did the day before when David approached in the car once again so "she" could tell him "Rob" was dead. Episode 4 is called Rob, you guys.

All you need to know to cement this theory once you realize they can leave their bodies is that she's suddenly doing heroine all the time.

Of course there's also the constant lament by David that she hadn't "been herself in years" and that she changed after he was done with university. And anyone who didn't see it coming towards the end when the "soul" leaving Adele's body was blue like robs instead of purple like hers wasn't paying attention.

Here's what's problematic, which you notice when you're no longer waiting for the answers that come at the end: Is it just a coincidence that Adele knew Louisa could Astral project? If not that, can everyone just be taught to do this by counting on their fingers? Why did Louisa leave her body to watch Adele commit suicide? Why was Adele even at rehab? Why is she on all those meds? Is she meant to have been hiding heroine use for 10 years!? Or, are they treating "it" with this medication that really isn't meant to be used to test heroine? Rob seemed to really love Adele, suddenly he's evil, and in love with a dude he's known for a half a day?

Double sigh.

Bearing in mind that this is intended for teens, and that all time loop movies are going to have missing pieces and their own sets of rules, this movie is totally watchable. It's even enjoyable, if you take it for what it is. The acting is good, and the story, while predictable, is easy enough to like if you're in the mood to like it. It's easy watching, and sometimes that's just what you need.

This is one of those movies where towards the end I realized it had to have been a book, and that book was probably pretty good and made a lot more sense. What happened here was a nightmare.

It was painful to watch Lily stumbling around and sulking for minutes that felt like hours. She's also somehow navigating parkour-level hiding places while shouting orders and spewing venom at this poor, nice guy. She was borderline emotionally abusing him.

The 2 stars is for his evolved but flawed character and his performance as a teen deeply in love for the first time, and highly evolved, actually, for a boy his age. She is a nightmare. Also, let's check a couple of facts:

1. She has/had no friends who care about her and her mom shows up once, then flees like she robbed the place. No explanation. Oopsie poopsie?

2. This tragic event happened in their town but neither he nor anybody else seemed to know or tell him what was up.

3. She lives with her dead boyfriends parents who send this other boy right up to her room alone.

4. She is allowed to snap at and insult teachers who just take it.

5. She had a wedding dress and was going to marry him...while still in high school? On graduation day? And they were friends since they were kids, then romantically involved? Okey dokey.

6. No therapists or guidance counselors ever intervene when she is clearly spiraling to the point where she's calling him by a dead guy's name.

So many times it attempts to touch at something greater and almost does, but totally falls through a hole in the script.

It took me three days on and off to try to get through this. The characters are unlikeable, we have barely any reason to care about them as they're presented to us (whether it's like or dislike), all backstories are vague and you could break your neck tripping over all of the holes in the plot that just exist because "the story has to happen." Awful, even in an age of the anti-hero and the ambiguous ending. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is one particular set up to defy and challenge a cultural stereotype that a character decides to go ahead AND PROVE RIGHT WITH THEIR CHOICES. What?! You know who the extra star goes to in the two stars? The three minutes of Dulé Hill.

This is like a George Michael fever dream that never gels in any way that makes sense as it turns into a disturbing nightmare. The protagonist is unlikeable, (and is later revealed to be clearly mentally ill, as there is not enough in the plot twist to justify a solid metaphor or any thoughtful, meaningful symbolism), and spends the movie giggling her way through what we later realize are delusions. Set to different music and pacing, this could have been a horror movie quite similar to the one they ultimately ripped off at the end. The "twist" is so full of gaping plot holes I'm surprised we didn't all twist an ankle navigating them in the "revelatory flashback" sequence. The political subplot thrown in here is sloppy and insulting, and I'm left feeling deeply uncomfortable about what felt more like a mediocre SNL spoof trailer that lasted two hours. Hearing "Last Christmas" sung at the end with the reveal now in plain (grotesque) sight made me literally grab my own face in horror and shout "Nooo!" as I realized that the title lyric was literally the basis for...this. I'm going be trying to forget "this" for weeks while forever trying to still enjoy this song that I used to love.

I'm so disappointed in Ryan Murphy and, frankly, most of the cast. As a huge fan of everything he's done in every genre, I almost can't believe he had a hand in this. The cheese level worked live and loses its charm here and then some. I am a huge fan of movie musicals, especially ones that adapt existing Broadway shows. This movie wasted its potential to add more poignant plot elements, opting for unnecessary, less-than-charming camp and boring filler scenes. Kerry Washington is insufferable beyond what her role calls for, James Corden's portrayal of a homosexual actor is offensive, and the writing is lazy. Such a bummer that folks who didn't get to see it live are getting this instead.

This series was certainly different. Disturbing climax-like moments unfold within the first 20 minutes of episode 1 and jump scares surprise us in unpredictable places without the typical sense-assaulting sound effects we're used to. It's overall unsettling, perhaps because it's willing to "go there" to some places that American movies and series never do. More information is revealed as you go along that really does help connect the dots you're hoping for. It took me longer to get through the first four episodes than the final five, and at times it dragged a bit. It also felt like some people were unlikeable just for the sake of it. However, if you want to be unsettled, disturbed, and to even have to look away at times, give it a shot. For true horror fans who have seen literally everything out there, this is a breath of fresh air. I will say that did feel a little too convenient to me that somebody just conveniently didn't show up for the climax of the final episode; I won't say who, but if your mind isn't trained to notice those things like mine is, you'll be truly "gotten" by the ending. This works whether or not there's a season 2, which I liked a lot as well.

This series was certainly different. Disturbing climax-like moments unfold within the first 20 minutes of episode 1 and jump scares surprise us in unpredictable places without the typical sense-assaulting sound effects we're used to. It's overall unsettling, perhaps because it's willing to "go there" to some places that American movies and series never do. More information is revealed as you go along that really does help connect the dots you're hoping for. It took me longer to get through the first four episodes than the final five, and at times it dragged a bit. It also felt like some people were unlikeable just for the sake of it. However, if you want to be unsettled, disturbed, and to even have to look away at times, give it a shot. For true horror fans who have seen literally everything out there, this is a breath of fresh air. I will say that did feel a little too convenient to me that somebody just conveniently didn't show up for the climax of the final episode; I won't say who, but if your mind isn't trained to notice those things like mine is, you'll be truly "gotten" by the ending. This works whether or not there's a season 2, which I liked a lot as well.

I love that we're finally getting a love story about a same-sex couple that isn't pigeonholed into the LGBTQ genre category, even if it is a cheesy Christmas movie. However, I was dissapointed at how lazy the ending was-parents like that don't literally change overnight, Kristen Stewart is ultimately still basically a doormat, and her girlfriend, who promises to show her why Christmas is so wonderful, basically shuns her the entire time. There was a better ending to be had, and it was far too long with opportunity for easy cuts (there was truly no reason for those children to frame her for shoplifting). Thank goodness for Dan Levy, and let's do more of this type of movie, please...just with better writing.

So here's the thing, and I'll try to write this with minimal spoilers up front just in case. I called it from the beginning, but I didn't know how she could have done it. I'm sorry, but how do you fake being paralyzed for months and months, first of all, especially if it was in a car accident YOU WERE IN WITH YOUR HUSBAND. He knows you can walk. You can't fake hospital records. Lawyers didn't look into this? Nobody? No neighbors hearing or seeing anything? Cool. Let's assume that's true. That brings us to second of all...even if we're assuming that happened, you think that because the trial is over, you can just walk around all over and nobody's going to go, wow, she lied and she can walk? Wearing the coat they caught the "murderer" in? You can't overturn a conviction but we already know that the mistress is going to get an appeal. Also, they can try you, moron, because it's not double jeopardy-they didn't try you on this one. It's not case closed.

I don't understand why he makes her lose her breath and tries to kill her....if he's trying all along to tell her he's sorry and he loved her to help her move on. What is that about?

I saw this movie when I was 17 and had no idea what the ending meant, back then we didn't have IMDB and there weren't really explanations on google.

I went back and watched it today, remembering the ending and certain scenes but not much else and I didn't hold out much hope to get it.

I actually am surprised at how much of an impact it had on me now and how much I thoroughly understand what I saw. If you're confused:

The facts:

Danika did lose her brother as a child. She became an obsessively overprotective mom as a result. We know she has some mental health issues. She hears the bank robbery vaguely in the background on the phone when her boss calls her before she hangs up.

She catches her husband with the nanny, possibly kills him, drives off with her kids and gets in an accident (if it is an accident and not an intentional red-light run, which would explain the bomb on he school bus delusion). She's the only survivor.

Her mental illness takes a turn, and basically, most of the movie is her delusions of what life would have been like if things had gone on-and happily. Except...what if a girl gave her son AIDS, what if she saw the girl who went missing (newspaper headline in her cart at the end) and didn't save her, like she didn't save her brother. Etc.

She had trusted the nanny with her secrets and to take care of her kids, which is why the nanny had the therapist role in her head.

Is it the same thing as "and it was all a dream?" Not really. There are some unexplained parts...her daughter's teacher dying, the dog in the pool (for the millionth time can we please stop with the dogs in horror movies?) the fact that there's no real conflict/fear with the middle child for whatever reason.

The fireman says it. "how do you go on after something like that?"

And bravo for being the exact right length, even under 90 minutes.

I'm not even a mother yet, but I feel like if and when I am, this will resonate even more. For me now, years after seeing it the first time, it's not scary at all unless you stop to consider how vulnerable we are to life throwing us tragedy at any moment and how real mental illness can be.

Oh hey! If you just watched this and went, WTF? You're not alone.

Spoilers you're looking for so that you can rest assured someone else said, "wait, but what about that thing"

So her past has nothing to do with anything, we don't know why she was left as the "lone survivor" or why the weird camera footage we see of her as a child, a firsthand account of the cult suicide, is skewed to indicate something supernatural...just a red herring and a middle finger. Awesome! Thanks!

Youre never led to believe this kids are capable or really have motive to do something like this. They're just reactionary. It doesn't gel.

No explanations as to where they hid all the stuff, how they were so adept at pranks that they printed out a fake newspaper story with their photos saying they died, etc, and the photo in the frame. These are grade school kids. Cool.

How did she try to shoot herself in the head, but no bullet came out, yet she goes to shoot the dad and kills him? If she already lost her mind and thought she was in purgatory, she wouldnt have emptied the first round. Sigh.

I guess we're gonna keep doing this to dogs in horror movies? Really? Why? Can we stop?

In closing, thanks for that upsetting image of the dog, thanks for yet another stupid dollhouse, and you did not at all earn an hour and 48 minutes. I hate you.