MovieChat Forums > 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Discussion > Michelle a monster?

Michelle a monster?

posted 9 years ago by LinkinSixEcho
125 replies | jump to latest

We get to see the movie through Michelle's eyes and therefore automatically assume she's the hero...but some her manipulations seem to suggest borderline personality disorders.

Howard brings her food which she spurns, tells her he saved her life--which she disbelieves--and then immediately endangers herself and Howard's lives by starting a fire in an underground bunker.

She then sharpens a stake intending to spear Howard ala Vampire Diaries as he attempts to investigate (and to presumably save Michelle, again).

She sociopathically drives Howard to anger by deliberately pushing buttons at the dinner table, toys with Emmett's emotions by falsely coming on to him, and then conspiratorially gets Emmett to perform most of the dangerous work for their escape plan (stealing kitchen implements under Howard's wrathful eye, getting Howard to dispose of the shower curtain, distracting Howard while she made the Hazmat suit, and volunteering to singlehandedly subdue Howard and relieve him of his gun).

Even when the suit was done they knew only one was getting out. So of course, old Emmett volunteers to stay behind...with what would be a supremely pissed-off Howard.

(Makes one wonder if she subconsciously set-up Emmett up to be that "hero" with her carefully emoted story about "freezing under pressure," which precipitates Emmett's rushed confession to Howard and gets him killed? Naughty girl!)

She lies, manipulates, steals, gives Howard a 10-point faceplant in an acid bath, and her only act of kindness is to stitch up Howard's cut--which she in fact, caused.

She then locks Howard in a burning bunker and watches it explode--after killing an organic spaceship with some strategically lobbed firewater to its kisser.

Who knows what havoc she will wreak when she reaches Houston?

[–] LinkinSixEcho 9 years ago

By that logic, Howard is using his tools to try to save himself and humanity in the face of a realized threat. Remember, he didn't have to try to save Michelle...he could have just left her on the side of the road to die in the invasion. He saved her. And he saved the simpleton that came knocking on the door...if he was abducting Michelle, don't you thin he'd turn away Emmett? He wanted to save people and was doing it with the tools he had: compassion, forethought, altruism, and practicality.

He mended her leg. He immobilized her so she wouldn't create new injuries in her sleep. He gave her needed fluids and brought her food. He demanded her rest to get her strength back. I'm almost sure he put Emmett's arm in a modified sling because of his clumsiness.

And what does she do? She resorts to wildcat. Did Howard ever threaten her life? No. But Michelle did--several times. And she deliberately manipulated another to help her debilitate Howard...and it just got him killed. She killed EVERYONE. Even the monster outside. At some point we need to stop and say just because she's a female doesn't exempt her from being monster. She killed, and it seems (come to find out) without provocation.

She is a survivor only after the fact, so she can't rightfully be labeled as such when she's on her killing rampages. Howard *is* a survivalist, as evidenced by his careful construction of the bomb shelter, accurate assessment of the threat outside, and allowing others into his safe haven.

He saved her several times. And she killed him for it.

[–] hopeseekr 9 years ago

That Howard let in Emmitt is proof positive of both his generous nature, desire to altruistically help Michelle, and great hints at his misunderstood nature. He probably suffers from Aspergers Syndrome.

His reaction at the dinner table is completely understandable, because he did so much, in his own eyes, for Michelle, and he could tell that she was purposefully manipulating him to get a rise out of him. Which is true.

[–] CthulhuWept 9 years ago

He deliberately ran Michelle off the road. How does this fit with a generous, altruistic nature?

[–] HentaiGuy42 9 years ago

Yeah, people seem to miss that part. He pulled up behind her at the gas station, followed her, and ran her off the road with the intention to kidnap her. The apocalypse was incidental.

[–] homespundogg 9 years ago

I just rewatched the movie as I was under the same impression, but the truck that pulls up behind her at the gas station has running lights on top of the truck, Howard's truck at the end of the movie shows no roof running lights. That's not to say that at night he didn't see her and run her off the road to have someone to share the apocalypse with though

[–] NotASpookyGhost 9 years ago

Howard's truck at the end does show roof running lights though.

http://imgur.com/a/xh40B

[–] mezerettecharles 9 years ago

He's not altruistic at all, and the fact you could think that is kind of scary.

First of all, he did not save Michelle, he saw her on the road and crashed her car to then abduct her. He then chained her in his bunker without even leaving her a note or any explanation. His plan was probably to abuse her.

Emmett forced himself into the bunker and had to almost break his own arm to get inside. So no, Howard did not let him in. He did not kill him because Emmett worked with him on this bunker and could probably help him keep it running.

Also, we learned later that Howard kidnapped and probably killed a little girl a few years befor the movie.

[–] jslavik 9 years ago

While Howard did technically save her, it's made pretty clear that he's abducted women before - and this would have been prior to any alien invasion. Its not hard to imagine that if the invasion ended, Howard was not planning to just let her go at her own will.

[–] Vicky8675309 9 years ago

he could have just left her on the side of the road to die in the invasion. He saved her.

I internally debated who really what the "bad person" between Howard and Emmett. I just thought she was stupid at times and yet courageous, bright and lucky at times. Reading this thread shows a new perspective that I find interesting. However Howard skewed more toward "bad guy" with the following reveals:

He said he hit her car when trying to pass her so he caused the accident. IIRC her memory shows him driving towards her in the opposite lane. Also what we see is her car going off the road so I don't think she could have been lying on the side of the road. Howard caught in a lie that strongly suggests he planned her car wreck and that he abducted her. One can't say he rescued her if it was planned. Maybe I'm not wording it correctly but if I put a knife to your neck and then put the knife away, could you say I rescued you? I only pressed hard enough to scrape the dead skin cells but I could have pressed harder and severed your neck. He didn't rescue her from the wreck if he intentionally planned for and caused her car wreck.

Also the girl in the photos. I thought they were different girls in the two photos and that Emmet said that the one was not Howard's daughter. That was the photo Howard should her and said it was his daughter. However the photos with the girl and Howard together seemed to be a different girl (IIRC) and logically she would most likely be the daughter. This inconsistency (lie or delusion), for me, skewed Howard firmly into the "bad guy" role.

I can see arguments for all of them being bad or good (most likely grey) but most of the data from the movie (from her perspective) points to Howard being the bad guy (plus just having a tank of the acid....not standard doomsday supplies).

At some point during the movie I thought Emmet was smarter than he pretended to be and wondered if he was really a killer...then Howard shot him in the head and that theory ended (but Emmet could have killed the other girl but then it still doesn't explain the photos or the car wreck).

I'm glad they didn't have her find puzzle pieces in the air hatch room (whatever that room was).

Interesting thread. I initially thought it was a troll thread but it turned out to be interesting despite some of the misogynist posters/commenters.

[–] leybadana 9 years ago

By that logic, Howard is using his tools to try to save himself and humanity in the face of a realized threat. Remember, he didn't have to try to save Michelle...he could have just left her on the side of the road to die in the invasion. He saved her. And he saved the simpleton that came knocking on the door...if he was abducting Michelle, don't you thin he'd turn away Emmett? He wanted to save people and was doing it with the tools he had: compassion, forethought, altruism, and practicality.

He mended her leg. He immobilized her so she wouldn't create new injuries in her sleep. He gave her needed fluids and brought her food. He demanded her rest to get her strength back. I'm almost sure he put Emmett's arm in a modified sling because of his clumsiness.

And what does she do? She resorts to wildcat. Did Howard ever threaten her life? No. But Michelle did--several times. And she deliberately manipulated another to help her debilitate Howard...and it just got him killed. She killed EVERYONE. Even the monster outside. At some point we need to stop and say just because she's a female doesn't exempt her from being monster. She killed, and it seems (come to find out) without provocation.

She is a survivor only after the fact, so she can't rightfully be labeled as such when she's on her killing rampages. Howard *is* a survivalist, as evidenced by his careful construction of the bomb shelter, accurate assessment of the threat outside, and allowing others into his safe haven.

He saved her several times. And she killed him for it.

THE BEST READ EVER!. Howard was no monster her ass was

There is no one looking out for us. We are all alone. Graham Hess

[–] sean-van-der-smythe 9 years ago

Just because he hadn't explicitly threatened to kill her doesn't mean that he wouldn't have done so later or that she was unreasonable in expecting that. He apparently killed the missing girl whose bloody earrings were found in the ventilation utilities room.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tom_saint 9 years ago

You do not know nothing john snow............

Howard was the psycho...And Michelle was indeed someone who refused to be abused.....

At the end she decides to run to the danger and not hide anymore......

She is strong, independant, clever, handy, witty and smart, she is a woman !

😷😷

[–] scrapmetal7 9 years ago

She wasn't a monster, just a regular woman. she starts the movie as selfish, melodramatic, and snotty, and through her hellish experiences becomes someone who might possibly be tolerable.

[–] PrimeMinisterOfTheSinister 9 years ago

We get to see the movie through Michelle's eyes and therefore automatically assume she's the hero...but some her manipulations seem to suggest borderline personality disorders.

Howard brings her food which she spurns, tells her he saved her life--which she disbelieves--and then immediately endangers herself and Howard's lives by starting a fire in an underground bunker.

She then sharpens a stake intending to spear Howard ala Vampire Diaries as he attempts to investigate (and to presumably save Michelle, again).

She sociopathically drives Howard to anger by deliberately pushing buttons at the dinner table, toys with Emmett's emotions by falsely coming on to him, and then conspiratorially gets Emmett to perform most of the dangerous work for their escape plan (stealing kitchen implements under Howard's wrathful eye, getting Howard to dispose of the shower curtain, distracting Howard while she made the Hazmat suit, and volunteering to singlehandedly subdue Howard and relieve him of his gun).

Even when the suit was done they knew only one was getting out. So of course, old Emmett volunteers to stay behind...with what would be a supremely pissed-off Howard.

(Makes one wonder if she subconsciously set-up Emmett up to be that "hero" with her carefully emoted story about "freezing under pressure," which precipitates Emmett's rushed confession to Howard and gets him killed? Naughty girl!)

She lies, manipulates, steals, gives Howard a 10-point faceplant in an acid bath, and her only act of kindness is to stitch up Howard's cut--which she in fact, caused.

She then locks Howard in a burning bunker and watches it explode--after killing an organic spaceship with some strategically lobbed firewater to its kisser.

Who knows what havoc she will wreak when she reaches Houston?

Are you trolling or are you really that stupid? She woke up chained to a pipe by an angry man spouting conspiracy theories. She had every right to be distrusting. You sound like the sociopath and a misogynist, as well.

[–] christina_death 9 years ago

I think he's really that stupid. Not to mention totally crazy. Imagine being that pathetic to identify with the wacko Howard and try to paint him as a good guy. Some dudes are so terrifying, I'm glad I'm not such a twisted character. I generally regret reading imdb. It's like wacko central. I should have just rated this great movie and left it at that.

[–] WowlX_13 9 years ago

I am glad I am not the only one frightened that some people genuinely identify with a textbook wacko while claiming that the victim is actually the bad guy

I flipped through catalogs and wondered: What kind of dining set defines me as a person?

[–] YourAgent 9 years ago

I feel like some MGTOW member must have reviewed this movie because this is an unusual amount of wacko misogynists for 1 movie. Though, maybe a number of movie-goers simply saw themselves in Howard for... reasons. Pretty effed up.

I met Cinderella once... She's actually kind of a bitch.

[–] GayBoi1 8 years ago

I think he's really that stupid. Not to mention totally crazy. Imagine being that pathetic to identify with the wacko Howard and try to paint him as a good guy. Some dudes are so terrifying, I'm glad I'm not such a twisted character. I generally regret reading imdb. It's like wacko central. I should have just rated this great movie and left it at that.

Actually your posts themselves are very wacko. You sound like a total wackjob b itch yourself.

[–] Honhye 9 years ago

This is typical nonsense a not so smart person would utter to make himself sound smarter than he really is. What you have done is simply twisting the fact to serve your purpose. So much so it is against common sense.

How is Michelle a monster? How is she manipulative? When you are kidnapped by a rapist, are you telling me you are going to tell him all your plans and do everything as he told you? If so, good for you.

“She lies, manipulates, steals, gives Howard a 10-point faceplant in an acid bath”
Are you freaking kidding me? You know how stupid and hypocritical you are? Stealing a pair of scissors to make a chemical suit makes her a monster? Not the fact Howard murdered someone without blinking an eye and dissolve the victim’s body in acid?

You need to be totally demented to utter such nonsense. Nobody will call her action as stealing or manipulation.

[–] Honhye 9 years ago

According to your logic, anyone who attempts to self-defend in any circumstances is a monster. Don’t try anything to self-rescue when kidnapped cause if you touch anything belongs to your kidnapper that’s stealing. If you convince someone to help you, that’s manipulation. Everyone is a monster, except for the rapist kidnapper.

You see how absurd and insane you are? I will tell you: you are not as smart as you think. What you did is selectively apply rules that suit your narrative. It’s nothing new. Any kids can do the same thing.

[–] LinkinSixEcho 9 years ago

It seems I struck a nerve...😱

First, have you ever heard of satire?

She did preform those actions. We see it within the context of a victim or abductee, or as some persons say, a "survivalist." I was simply attempting to sum up her actions vs. Howard's actions to see who the bigger monster was--and at my tally (and with nothing more than circumstantial evidence or theory), it seems all Howard did was save her from a car wreck, save her from the first alien attack, and offer her a way to wait out the invasion in relative safety and comfort. All she had to do was abide by the rules (as any group of persons would have to do).

He did not allow her to go outside, and yes, this would be his biggest transgression (preventing someone's freedom) We do find however, that it was for her safety. But yes, if someone's express wish was to leave he should have let them go.

We don't know that Howard is a rapist. We guess he might be a kidnapper--we don't know for absolutely sure. We know he's a little edgy and conspiratorial--but he hasn't done anything to harm anyone inside the bunker unless physically threatened (Michelle attacked him first, she even slashed him with a broken glass, remember; what had Howard done to her that we've actually seen?). Howard seems incapable of scheming or at the very least doesn't have any interest in it; he doesn't seem manipulative or sneaky. He seems pretty straightforward with his requests.

If Howard had looked like Ryan Reynolds or Bradley Cooper would we still picture him as a rapist or molester? I judge upon action and motive...and by all accounts Howard's seemed fairly pure.

[–] mezerettecharles 9 years ago

Howard is a cold blooded murderer who killed someone he knows at the first suspission and packed acide in his bunker in order to be able to melt people. This is no interpretation, this is shown in the movie, and even if it was Charlize Theron instead of John Goodman, the character would still be terrifying.

I really think the movie is just trying to say : what if you're locked in a bunker with a psycopath and you can't go outside because it's the apocalypse?

[–] mezerettecharles 9 years ago

[–] Kuato_and_George 9 years ago

You invested way too much time into trolling.

http://www.hesaidshesaidreviewsite.com/

[–] taylormcclure 9 years ago

So basically those few of us who believe Michelle is a *beep* beyond belief are in the minority?

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] HajiAltair 9 years ago

If Howard wasn't controlling, chained Michelle and locked her up for no reason, hadn't previously kidnapped and killed multiple girls, and if he hadn't executed Emmet so he could have Michelle all for himself as a sexual object.