10 Hidden Meanings Behind Confusing Horror Movies
Seriously, what's beneath the surface of Braid?
Although the primal nature of horror lends itself to simplicity, many of the greatest genre films – such as The Exorcist, The Wicker Man, Funny Games, Get Out, and A Tale of Two Sisters – are revered because they’re so ambitious, multifaceted, and thought-provoking.
After all, most of those landmark movies incorporate elements such as dense commentaries on humanity, mind-bending twists, meta-references, and abstract imagery. In turn, they require deep concentration – if not repeated watches – to fully appreciate what they’re doing thematically, narratively, and even visually.
The 10 entries we’re discussing here are certainly guilty of that – to varying degrees – because their emphases on profundity and experimentation result in highly sophisticated and strange approaches that (at least initially) may make their true meanings difficult to decipher. On a second viewing or after closer interrogation, however, their challenging nature reveals hidden meanings that are well worth discovering.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
10. Triangle
Horror is no stranger to integrating time loops and/or nonlinear plots into its chilling cinematic offerings. The 21st century alone has given us plenty of superb picks, including Last Night in Soho, Timecrimes, Coherence, Totally Killer, and the two Happy Death Day films.
2009’s Triangle is no exception (despite becoming somewhat convoluted by the end).
Triangle’s circular storytelling revolves around a mother named Jess who boards an abandoned ship with friends, only to learn that they’re being knocked off by a mysterious figure who may or may not be one of them from another reality or timeline.
Throughout the runtime, Jess repeatedly experiences déjà vu and events are shown from different perspectives and prior exchanges and occurrences take on new meanings. Naturally, the end result may seem too clever and enigmatic for its own good, especially since it’s difficult to keep track of its irregular continuity and subtle but crucial foreshadowing and clues.
After multiple watches, though, Triangle’s emotional and troubling revelations become more logical and impactful, allowing its meditations on destiny, morality and the consequences of one's actions to overwhelm like a tidal wave.