Film
BEAU IS AFRAID: He Lives in a Constant Reel of Dissociated (Terrifying) Feelings
Beau is Afraid in Ari Aster‘s psychologically complex horror film. He has good reasons to be afraid. Beau has a (very) scary mom. He’s frightened of making the “wrong” move or saying the “wrong” thing. He lives in a constant reel of dissociated (terrifying) feelings. Mostly, his rage. Beau has no choice but to project…
Read MoreMATERIALISTS: Love Isn’t Easy When Your Childhood Was Hard
Materialists, written and directed by Celine Song, starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, tells the story of how love isn’t easy when your childhood was hard (with a little matchmaking mixed in). Childhood trauma sets you up for confusion, insecurity, hopelessness, and various defenses against being hurt again, like going cold and choosing…
Read MoreDYING FOR SEX, EPISODE 8: Letting in Love Changes Molly (& Everyone Else)
Sexual abuse is serious. A rift with your mom is too, in Dying for Sex, Episode 8. But “It’s Not That Serious” when you can let in more love and finally embrace what you want. That’s what Molly does when she admits she needs her mom and is brave enough to find her own way…
Read MoreTHE BRUTALIST: Severe Trauma & Complicated Guilt
Why do so many people who’ve suffered severe trauma live with complicated guilt? Guilt that has nothing to do with anything they’ve actually done? Or, like László Tóth in Brady Corbet’s 2025 The Brutalist – guilt about lesser things that is blown way out of proportion? This irrational guilt is because trauma involves unfair blame,…
Read MoreNICKEL BOYS: Holding On to Your Self Even When Abused
How do you hold onto yourself amid threat, abuse, and constant attempts to make you feel “less than?” Elwood Curtis does, in RaMell Ross’s powerful, disturbing, and timely 2024 film, Nickel Boys. Abuse can tear a person down. Create hopelessness, despair, and resignation. Repeated abuse, with no way to protect yourself, makes it difficult for…
Read MoreTHE SUBSTANCE: A Sad Gory Story of a Woman’s Self-Hate
Elizabeth Sparkle, an aging yet beautiful actress, hates herself. That’s why The Substance is a sad, gory story of a woman’s self-hate. Self-loathing always stems from early trauma. And, both childhood trauma and self-hate are devastating. You never feel good enough, are vulnerable to feelings of rejection, and do everything you can to prove you’re…
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