new thoughts


I wonder if both Pelle and Ingemar were assigned specifically to bring at least one girl to contend for May Queen. Like Dani and Connie were both sort of in "competition" until Connie screwed up by being more vocally upset at the elderly jumping off the cliff. But I also like Christian's line about how we put our elderly in nursing homes and they'd find that disturbing.

Pelle's conversations are always creepy, it feels like each one has a step of his agenda, such as showing her at least he remembers her birthday, and he's willing to have the discussion about her family.

Also I think Dani feels at home because the other ladies wail with her when she's upset. It's small but notable. At the beginning of the film, she's wailing into Christian's arms, he doesn't participate in commiserating with her that way, and later, the women do when she's hurting over him.

I think this movie still manages stereotypes. In the main group, we have the leader, the lady, the intellect, the fool, the outsider, all very The Cabin in the Woods.

It annoys that Dani speaks to an unnamed friend on the phone in the beginning who's never mentioned again. That's someone who might look for her. It would've been better to not include that and have Mark or someone comment "She's so wrapped up in you and her family, she doesn't even have any of her own friends," to show another layer of isolation.

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After seeing the film 3x I've come to a tentative conclusion that Pelle not only had Dani targeted from the beginning, but I suspect he arranged for her families demise as well, staging their deaths (taking advantage of the mental instability of Dani's sister for the frame). If not, then he was certainly an opportunist who saw potential in someone like Dani with her frayed psyche.

The opening phone call served as exposition and nothing more it would appear. But I did wonder if any of the victims had family or friends that would attempt to track them down after a lengthy disappearance, and if the cult had safeguards in place for any such potentiality.

EDIT: By chance I came across a quote by the director that adamantly insists that Pelle is not responsible for the death of Dani's parents. So I guess that does that.

I still don't like the guy.

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I didn't ever think that Pele had anything to do with Dani's family, but I do agree with you that she was targeted. When they first meet members of the Harga, they say welcome to the guys, but to Dani they say Welcome Home.

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Yes, just rewatched tonight...I missed the 'welcome home' line on a prior viewing

Dani was the target and the rest were for rituals

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