It's just as easy to poke holes in your assumptions:
1) The truck at the gas station looked like his.
It's dark. Without a license plate match or picture of the driver we don't know for sure the truck at the gas station was Howard's.
2) He definitely ran her off the road, but he was driving the opposite direction from his home, and it doesnt jive with his story about rushing home.
He did run her off the road--he admits to this (but not to intentionally doing so). How is it do we know which direction both were going at the time (I'd have to view this a second time).
3) He chained her to the wall in a locked room.
I think it's safe to assume he did this for her safety--he didn't want her squirming around after he set her leg, and he anticipated she would he anxious with the news of the attack outside and the impossibility of her leaving. I can't vouch for locking the room--that doesn't seem hospitable.
4) He was was very aggressive and easily upset by stupid things.
It's a quirk of engineers, and given his fallout and inability to rescue his own daughter and estranged wife, he might be understandably "on edge."
5) The board game where he only referred to Michelle as a "little princess" and a "girl"
This is troubling, but it might have more to do with him grieving the recent loss of his own daughter than confusing Michelle with her.
6) A girl in his town disappeared that he had photos and bloody earrings from in his bunker. There's no guarantee that he killed her, but he definitely had some connection or interest in her.
This is the most suspicious. He might have taken an interest in the case given the similarities between Bridgett (the missing girl) and his own daughter...but we still don't know for sure if Bridgett was for sure locked int he bunker or who abducted her or what happened to her. We have only Emmett's explanation.
7) "help" scratched into the glass on the inside of his bunker
As this was an accessible part of the bunker from the outside, it's possible whoever scratched it was simply deposited and kept in that room. It's also been theorized that it might have been scratched outside the room from someone desperate to get in...
8) He shot Emmitt
He carries a firearm. He's a survivalist. And Emmett--from day one--has been getting on Howard's nerves. Emmett admitted to wanting to subdue Howard set Howard off and he did what he had to do to protect himself and the integrity of his property (he seems to make decisions based upon this basic need: safety for himself and safety of his home). If a burglar broke into your home and threatened to tie you up and you had a firearm, would it be any different?
9) He freaked out on Michelle when he saw her gas mask
He anticipated that she was going to go outside...and endanger himself doing so. I think he had an honest desire to keep her safe, and let's be honest--she was in more danger (come to find out) going outside than staying in the bunker. Unthinking, murderous flying aliens, dog-like creatures that hunted humans on the ground, and other humans that have clearly gone insane from the attacks. He suspected as much and simply wanted to keep her safe for her own good--much as a father would with a child--as well as preserve his own safety and home.
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mezerettecharles
9 years ago
I think it's safe to assume he did this for her safety--he didn't want her squirming around after he set her leg, and he anticipated she would he anxious with the news of the attack outside and the impossibility of her leaving. I can't vouch for locking the room--that doesn't seem hospitable.
It was useless to chain her, she was injured, she wouldn't have ran away immediately. The chain was a way for award to immediately show that he had the power and that she was his creature.
It's a quirk of engineers, and given his fallout and inability to rescue his own daughter and estranged wife, he might be understandably "on edge."
He might not even have a wife and kid. He did show the picture of another girl and said she was his doughter. Maybe he never had a doughter and kidnap kids to pretend they're his.
As this was an accessible part of the bunker from the outside, it's possible whoever scratched it was simply deposited and kept in that room. It's also been theorized that it might have been scratched outside the room from someone desperate to get in...
It is said in the movie that it is written from the inside.
He carries a firearm. He's a survivalist. And Emmett--from day one--has been getting on Howard's nerves. Emmett admitted to wanting to subdue Howard set Howard off and he did what he had to do to protect himself and the integrity of his property (he seems to make decisions based upon this basic need: safety for himself and safety of his home). If a burglar broke into your home and threatened to tie you up and you had a firearm, would it be any different?
I'm french so maybe we're wreid, but we don't kill burglars. Moreover he could just easyly chain him in the room. So the fact that he's able to kill Emmett (moreover without any hesitation) is very very disturbing. And he knew Emmett, they worked together so it's even more troubling.
He anticipated that she was going to go outside...and endanger himself doing so. I think he had an honest desire to keep her safe, and let's be honest--she was in more danger (come to find out) going outside than staying in the bunker. Unthinking, murderous flying aliens, dog-like creatures that hunted humans on the ground, and other humans that have clearly gone insane from the attacks. He suspected as much and simply wanted to keep her safe for her own good--much as a father would with a child--as well as preserve his own safety and home.
He could just destroy the gas mask and explain that to her.
I know you're just doing that for the sake of the argument and I think you have some good points, but all in all, even if Michelle can be considered an extreme survivalist (and I don't really agree with that), Howard is a psychopath.
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Ryan1981
9 years ago
I'm in complete agreement with you, Link. Howard did show Michelle and Emmett generosity which was spurned by both. At the end when she sets the bunker on fire and Howard grabs her leg from below, his screaming is not one of "Get back here you ungrateful *****!" or "I'm gonna kill you!" he keeps on with "Please don't Michelle, stay with me!"
Howard was correct when he told her that it's not safe to go outside, he was also honest about the sound of the helicopter not being U.S. military.
I'm not saying Howard wasn't mentally somewhat unhinged but then what can one expect after what he'd been through? For me, the film said a lot more about the distrusting and destructive nature of humanity exemplified by Emmett and Michelle than by an alien invasion.
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dialtfortrouble
9 years ago
For point 2)
In America cars drive on the right hand lane.
The scratches on his car were along the right hand side.
Upon impact, they were traveling in the same direction or at least facing the same direction.
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