I'll Never See Coraline the Same Way Again

[@coolbeans5911]

as an avid Coraline enthusiast ever since watching it as a kid, i can testify that i do not indeed shut up about it

[@margoalex.]

same haven’t shut up about it 14 years and I don’t plan on stopping now

[@jhanelle8467]

Literally watch it at least 12 times a year

[@JBravoEcho09]

I've been lucky enough to randomly find a staged musical version of it in Chicago one summer. It was amazing.

[@ninjakiwigames5418]

I loved to talk about it even before I watched it, and after I did it certainly didn't stop

[@cyb3r.punk13]

Me neither, first watched it when I was about 4 and now I’m 18. Have watched it thousands of times, even would go to sleep with it on😅I love this movie so much.

[@JuliaElizabethGraves]

It’s really refreshing to see someone analyze coraline in terms of meaning and not just the possible lore and in-universe theories. Sincerely, a Gaiman fanatic who does not, in fact, shut up about any of his books or their adaptations. Great video as always!

[@eebbe3]

FR i love this

[@alexhodgkinson6718]

I'll always be pissed that we never got to see Henry Selick direct The Graveyard Book

[@JuliaElizabethGraves]

@@alexhodgkinson6718 so true!

[@atsukana1704]

Ya, I honestly believe most of those things completely miss the mark and misunderstand the movie’s very essence. After wanting to pull my hair out listening to some of them and how flimsy their arguments were only to be stated as “fact” this was finally a refreshing take.

[@fatuousinnovatorofsadness4640]

It's ALL in the details. This was my favorite movie growing up, and I've seen it at least a few dozen times. Most of them were when I was a kid. I NEVER noticed this detail until this video. The clip you have at 2:24 features Coraline putting up the seeds she wants to plant in her garden. Her mother tells her it's not the right time to make a garden. These exact plants are not only what's in the magic garden, but theyre the three plants used to make up the garden-drawing of Coraline's face. It's pretty obvious the Beldam was watching Coraline through the entire beginning but it's borderline terrifying when you actually see all the details during the plot that the Beldam spied on and then used in her world. Also from the video alone: the dresser by the fireplace is shaped a little like a heart, with a small box on top of it. This dresser is the giant beetle the Beldam uses to block the door. The windows in the house are shaped like beetle maws. There are two animal skulls on the wall, each representing the Beldam and the other father. When her other father says "the piano plays me", that's because the computer "plays" her real father in the same way. The Beldam is just making what he's doing more about Coraline - literally that's THE ACTUAL LYRICS. She doesn't actually change anything about Coraline's world. She just makes it more spectacular than reality, and entirely revolving around Coraline. He also only plays one key at a time. This is because when Coraline walked into his room, all the beldam saw was him typing away on his computer one key at a time. So she has other dad do the same thing on the piano before Coraline enters, and then the spectacle occurs. And just like how her real father engages her while he's typing, the other father engages her while he's playing. All the "fake" scenes literally mirror all the "real" experiences we saw in some way. And every detail is taken from the real world and placed into the fake one, but with more spectacle that might dazzle a child. ALSO: When they're about to try and convince Coraline of the buttons, there are three murals for each of the children on the wall.

[@ChamiKhan13]

omg i never noticed that but you're right!!! that's so cool!!!

[@ashes2ashes394]

The piano plays the other father like the Beldam is really pulling the strings…. The doll is how the Beldam is able to spy on Coraline….

[@tiannaspence9671]

Wow as much as I love this movie and have watched over and over even in the new re-release in theaters, I never noticed it like that. Thanks for pointing this out

[@petricore143]

I can’t believe I didn’t notice that! In fact, in the book, Coraline remarks that, (in her head) “the other mother can’t make anything new, she just twists reality”

[@fatuousinnovatorofsadness4640]

@@petricore143 Oh that's good. Then I'll have to REALLY pay attention for all the deets next time I watch it :)

[@3tarbutterfly]

What you said about her perspective changing, and how she started seeing the world around her differently and started seeing people as actual individuals rather than extensions of her. Really blew my mind because it makes perfect sense.

[@aanyamallick7747]

I’ve watched countless Coraline analysis videos, and I’ve never heard someone speak on shifting perspective

[@milahjensen]

Holy cow I thought your pfp was bellatrix for a second.

[@elysenyla6616]

so basically caroline had a spiritual awakening

[@LaSombraa]

Coraline is honestly a very complex movie.

[@thewizardgunes]

@@LaSombraayes,thats why we love Coraline❤️

[@gabriellaberman]

This and a few Tim Burton movies changed my taste in media all together. I was scared of literally everything as a kid, but I was OBSESSED with Coraline when it came out. It made me interested in horror. I will always adore this movie

[@dailyremindertoshutup3670]

Tim Burton didn't make Coroline

[@gabriellaberman]

@@dailyremindertoshutup3670 I know that. That’s why I said Coraline AND Tim Burton movies

[@dailyremindertoshutup3670]

@@gabriellaberman Oh yeah sorry I read your comment wrong

[@Dioxazine_Stars]

Same!

[@lapinajustleft]

Definitely! Now I started watching some pretty good horror movies like Goodnight Mommy, and Mommy's lost memories

[@Peach_C_Toadstool]

One of the most effective ways abusive parents trap their children into always obeying their wishes is by trying to shift their perspective. They try to disguise their manipulative and hurtful acts with a falsely friendly nature. In a sense, the abusive parent plucks the eyes of their own child and changes them into a lens that will be more subservient to the parents' wishes. This is precisely what the Other Mother has tried to do with Coraline, but in a more literal sense (taking her eyes and replacing them with buttons to have Coraline more helpless any inevitable demise). But who knows, maybe I'm looking too deep in it.

[@bunnyfrosting1744]

Thank you for articulating this, especially so well

[@newworldastrology1102]

The classic narcissist parent.

[@gnocchipr1nc3ss]

Love this point

[@lvxsophia]

I h Think you are right. And this guy totally missed the point.

[@another-niko-pfp-holder]

@@lvxsophiahow did he miss the point exactly?

[@ashxxiv]

as a young teen watching this, i got that not everything you desire is genuinely what you desire. Coraline loved the other world but then realised she actually didn't. the button eyes made them all seem like dolls and because dolls aren't real, neither are they or the things they offer. so if your selfish desires were to be satisfied, you would find the result to feel shallow and worthless to the point of inner death.. which is portrayed by the ones who the other mom devoured. crazy good movie

[@juneslocker]

woah this is a new perspective as well. inner death... what would the other mother be an embodiment of?

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

@@juneslockeri believe in that analysis the mother would represent the selfish desire they talked about

[@ts37924]

wow you're right

[@cactus_cutie]

I appreciate this perspective! This is really outside of the box to think about! She is just a kid and I think that most people do not take that into account.

[@livingwithautism3789]

I appreciate this perspective! This is really outside of the box to think about! She is just a kid and I think that most people do

[@davids.4431]

I appreciate this perspective! This is really outside of the box to think about! She is just a kid and

[@TheMan-mr8sv]

I appreciate this perspective! This is really outside of the box to think about! She is just a

[@infinitedaryl2267]

I appreciate this perspective! This is really outside the box to think about! She is

[@sedi2066]

Ill never get tired of anything Coraline😂 no matter how many commentary tracks, reviews, reactions, theories. I love getting to see it through new eyes

[@Lara-vo6rp]

same its fascinating to see another persons lens/pov in a film

[@potatopotayto8332]

this comment is really relevant to the video's thesis and i think that's great

[@Lara-vo6rp]

@@potatopotayto8332 out of context but i love ur pfp

[@potatopotayto8332]

@@Lara-vo6rp thank you hehe, it's a fun panel (:

[@littleleah310]

Fr

[@aliewilde5674]

To me Coraline feels like a coming of age story in a way. Every kid goes through a developmental stage where they realize other people have their own thoughts, feelings, wants and needs that are different and have nothing to do with them, and that can be a very difficult time in a kids life. Theres usually a large power struggle that happens at that time, as kids learn to let go of the idea that everyone exists for them, and learn that everyone exists for themselves. Its the idea that we believe we are the only playable character for a long time and everyone else is an NPC is our game, when in reality we are all our own playable characters. This feels like a story of coming to that realization, and coming to accept it.

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

i love this perspective and it makes so much sense

[@rachelschendel2476]

Sounds kike what people call "main character syndrome" I think

[@KaylaDunDunDunIt]

Coraline always had a more intense effect on me because I read the book as a child before the movie was made, and it was the first book to really give me the creeps and scares. It was one of the very first big kid books I read

[@emipexu2779]

there was this one specific drawing of the other mother from the book that TERRIFIED me when i read it in grade school. Couldn’t sleep in my own bed for two weeks

[@FruitOfTheFold]

yeaah! everything in the book looks scarier, ESPECIALLY coraliens other-world father

[@kaitou1412kid]

@@emipexu2779ik which one your talking about

[@lizlizlizoo207]

​@@emipexu2779the graphic novel creeped me out

[@Unholyspirit]

Such a good book

[@awesomedavid2012]

One thing I will add to this, which is all fantastic, is that coraline is also a warning for children: beware of the things that call out strongest to you. Especially people. Usually it's the kids who feel neglected that are targeted by sleezy monsters. It's that desire to be center of attention that requires a careful eye when someone gladly gives that attention

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

so true!

[@eatmanyzoos]

i saw it in 3D in the theater and it was pretty amazing. the piano musical scene was insane. i might have been on drugs. but still. great film.

[@livingwithautism3789]

i saw it in 3D in the theater and it was pretty amazing. the piano musical scene was insane. I might have been on drugs. but

[@darrylmega1476]

i saw it in 3D in the theater and it was pretty amazing. the piano musical scene was insane. I might have been

[@MyNameisDC]

i saw it in 3D in the theater and it was pretty amazing. the piano musical scene was

[@juliettem1996]

Lol, i wish I couldve seen it in theaters. That wouldve been something

[@debby2422]

I saw it in 3D in the theatre and it was pretty amazing the piano

[@freedompancakes301]

It traumatized me when I was little, but as I got older I really started liking it. The theories and lore really helped it’s appeal to me. The Beldam scared the crap out of me when I was little, and still does creep me out today, but as a character I think she’s an amazing horror villain. Also just the general visuals and aesthetic of the movie are fantastic.

[@trinaq]

This movie gave me the heebie jeebies as a kid, though at least it didn't shy away from mature topics.

[@rosealynn]

Is it me or I have seen you everywhere?

[@sdelros7970]

The source material is even better. Neil Gaiman is a modern literary genius!

[@user-ki6id4vt8u]

looool 'heebie jeebies'

[@madi-bellewalters1433]

@@rosealynnfor frickin real!!!

[@shatteredscry]

'How can you walk away from something and still come back to it?' 'Walk around the world' '...small world..' This is the most deep revelation ive learned in my life currently. I left my dirty home town and always vowed to never come back. I have had beautiful experiences on my own out there in the world, but it undeniably chewed me and spit me out. You can come home because you realize what real life is. I had found an appreciation for being home with loved ones, despite the past tribulations

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

I saw it more as like a metaphor for an abusive relationship. People often have trouble leaving those situations. They don’t think they deserve better because they don’t know different or how to accept real love. And in this video he said “it only reaches as far as she wanted to see” which made me think of “we accept the love we think we deserve” But that’s what’s so beautiful about art like this ! All the different interpretations!

[@shatteredscry]

@@SonnyB.Greenware I could see it being that way also. And you're right about art, especially profound art like this!

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

@@shatteredscry I love it! Art is amazing! It brings people together just like this. pretty cool :)

[@TakeItSlowMo]

Yes, LOVE this line

[@OctaviaJemima]

I think its worth it to note, the other mothers hand comes up a lot and when you don't have EYES and cant see you see by your sense of touch.

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

i wonder if it has to do with the other mother having a “grip” on coraline. maybe reaching. just a thought :)

[@boyka235]

what really freaks me out tho is how did the Other Mother kidnap Coraline's parents? When Coraline escaped with Other Wybie's help, I thought that was the end of it as long as she didn't go back. But the Other Mother was like: "Oh, you're not gonna come back? I'll just take your parents then". Makes you wonder what else she can really do

[@lilxxith2395]

I was wondering that too, with the doll of them as well, did they find that then hide it not thinking about it?? It stresses me out every time when she tells them “but you have snow on you” and it’s still there but they don’t see it? So is it fake or what’s going on what are your theories on this?

[@goodluckpup]

i like how your analysis about the moral of the story all started by YOU changing your perspective on it first

[@paradox000]

Fine, I'll watch Coraline again

[@inamina4848]

😂

[@dresvoid]

Just did.

[@dresvoid]

Just did.

[@jayyt2969]

They are re releasing it in theaters

[@Bauxit456]

@@jayyt2969yess!!!! I’ll see it today

[@BriaBri]

I just watched this movie for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I’m so glad I did. It reminded me a lot of Monster House which was my absolute favorite movie as a kid, so it was nice to be hit with that feeling again

[@livingwithautism3789]

I just watched this movie for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I’m so glad I did. It reminded me a lot of Monster House which

[@kadincemoschella6565]

​@@livingwithautism3789bruh what are doing trying to copy them

[@zoemack1903]

@@kadincemoschella6565and why does it have so many likes

[@hugemoist]

when i was a kid the most thing that scared me was that dolls movie that i should not watched i even don’t remember anything about it

[@yellowccake]

The film is excellent, the book is otherworldly. I read it every year around Halloween.

[@livingwithautism3789]

The film is excellent, the book is otherworldly. I read it every year around Halloween.

[@ghoultooth]

The film is excellent, the book is otherworldly. I read it every year around Halloween.

[@sean1348]

The film is excellent, the book is otherworldly. I read it every year around Halloween.

[@FruitOfTheFold]

The film is excellent, the book is otherworldly. I read it every year around Halloween.

[@nolanwolfe]

The film is excellent, the book is otherworldly. I read it every year around Halloween.

[@Gridgette]

This movie makes me happy. But i have deoression and OCD. I feel like coraline in some ways because i need something to distract me or take me away essentially. But as i got okder that became scary. I didnt know who i was when i tried to feel better. It is most definitely about accepting reality.

[@mimimi5656]

To this day, I will never pass up on someone talking about Coraline on the 'Tube. I was obsessed with the film since the first time I watched it. I can never forget the feeling. Prolly watched it over a hundred times so far. I still find everything just as fascinating, and it's one of those things from your childhood you still love to revisit. This movie was one of the things that raised me as a adolescent child growing up.

[@NeonGuyLive]

Always wondered why this movie made me sad, and now I get it.

[@idgee3774]

I had somewhat of a similar upbringing to Coraline’s (in her real world ofc lol) and ever since I was a kid I loved this movie sm bc it helped me to appreciate my own parents and life more. There was so much similarity in that while my parents might have been emotionally neglectful at times, they truly did their best to provide for me and make me happy in the way they best knew. This point was especially emphasized to me when it showed that even when you get all that you think you want, it still may not be the best for you. I think Coraline has a similar revelation at the end, at least through my eyes ha. But the fact that you articulated so well the little thoughts I’ve had in the back of my head while watching this movie brings me a lot of joy and made this really enjoyable to watch.

[@Willow76ny]

I saw this in the theater in 3-D and the use of the effect when the tunnel to the other world appears and extends outwards is amazing!

[@nursezee1034]

Going today so excited

[@alexshatner3907]

Is there many pop outs, things that almost poke your face or is it just depth?

[@Willow76ny]

@ there were 1 or 2 pop outs, but it was cool the way they did it.

[@alexshatner3907]

@@Willow76ny I don't like the lightning type pop outs I like the slower ones where you have enough time to try to reach for them, I can care less for the bullets and arrows lol

[@Willow76ny]

@ coralline has none of that. It makes good use of the effect.

[@hypetrail]

I like the music choice especially at the end :) you have great taste, and your prespective on this changed how I see Coraline as well. Thank you

[@bluecorp8557]

For me it was like an escape from reality. Kind of like Wonderland but more personal. Being in a world where you get everything you wanted and then realizing it’s not gonna make you happy. There’s cracks in the frame of “perfection” and that’s ok.

[@chrzrd.]

My teacher read the book to us everyday in primary school. When the movie came out, it was like I was watching my own imagination of the story. It was, and still is one of my favourites.

[@PastelOddity]

My cat’s named Coraline I WILL NOT BE SILENCED

[@LiteralPlanks]

omg, love the choice of songs for the video (especially the genshin song at the end) that was cheeky!

[@sushigooo8061]

I like to see coraline as a movie embodiment of the psychological phenomenon on the "devouring mother". A mom who consumes their childrens lives. The other mother wants to love coraline. The kids saying she "ate up their lives" maybe not literally. The devouring mother archetype loves selfishly rather than selflessly. They are over protective and want to shield their kids from the evils of the world while end up being one of such obstacles in their lives. The moms are codependent and "consume" their kids lives. These moms keep their offspring chillike and dont let them do whatever they want. Its like helicopter parenting but deeper than that. I dont think the other mother is lying at all when she says she loves coraline and barhing jer in gifts. I am aware this probably wasnt Neil's or Henry's thoughts when making the book or the movie inspired from it. I think it shows though that good writing has many layers to it and expresses many things, both what the writer intended and not. As a writer myself, i will look back at my own stories and see how i executed what i wanted and then the new, unplanned but completely without plot holes, themes and messages. I was 5 when this movie came out and i loved it. Its still one of my favorites and though i dont talk about it alot, if it is brought up, i do get excited. It seems alot of people who liked it will get unnerved by how much it means to me which is fine i guess. Im glad you vavw it a second shot (even if you realized you did indeed not like it still). I enjoyed your breakdown. Ive watched breakdowns of the book and jt truly is creepy. Im excited to own it and read it myself.

[@hisfavouritedoll]

My mother was like that, thru my childhood and early adulthood:(

[@lollmao-rd7bp]

I just saw this movie for the first time last night. I also interpreted Coraline as being a story about the devouring mother. (basically a modern day Hansel and Gretel) Yet clearly there are many different correct ways to interpret the film, which shows it is a true work of art. I'll have to rewatch it a few months from now and maybe read the book!

[@ChristoffRevan]

I think you're just projecting...you're like the people that claim art has thousands of different meanings, and when you look at an art piece you try to spend hours or even a lifetime "figuring it out". But, oftentimes there's a simple meaning for something, and it becomes absurd when there's people like you projecting yourself onto something when (using the art example still) a painting of an apple can literally just be a representation of an apple with no hidden meaning. Saying that YOUR impression of the meaning of that apple takes precedence over the actual painter (who had no intended meaning at all) is foolish...same with this movie....you decided it had to mean repression because you were repressed as a child.

[@sushigooo8061]

@@ChristoffRevan I do find it funny that you assume I'm a repressed child. Insinuating that I had a mother figure like the one I'm claiming to see in this movie. That is you in fact taking a separate meaning out of what I said. I being on the spectrum tend to take things at face value. Most do not. I've studied about humans and writing and more to better understand people as we are complex beings. When communicating people can say one thing and mean it but also be unaware of other things they are saying. They can be deceiving too. People are complicated and have many life experiences and as artists we will showcase that through our works too. As a writer I sometimes get frustrated when people don't see what I meant to say. It's up to me to see if I followed my thought through and they are just unable to see what I mean or I simply am a bad writer. It's how we get better. Like I said, I'll look back and find other things added to my story that add to my message that was unintentional but makes sense because as humans we understand things that convey what we meant to say and add it. I think art can have a singular purpose and meaning from what the artist wants and yet it can be taken differently. I mean again, you interpreted my statement to me a something I did not intend. It's unfortunately all about perspective and I think that is what makes art so interesting. If we create and come together and talk about all what we see, we can develop a better understanding of ourselves, each other and existence. After all, it's a creatives job invoke a feeling. It's inevitable people will get different things out of something because nothing is so simple and we all have different life experiences and knowledge. It might not have been Neils intention that the other mother matches so much with the devouring mother archetype but doesn't that show how vast the human mind is that so much can be said with a single thing? I can't know for sure his intentions with the story unless I ask him. I can see where others are coming from too about how they viewed the story. Now it would seem illogical to say that Coraline is an allegory for Candy land. That's ridiculous but most of what we are saying fits together and adds to it. I actually feel really sorry for you that you are so stuck in a very small way of thinking. It's patterns and deduction. Like how no story is entirely original. You will find subconscious inspirations from everything. Even the artists probably didn't even see to start. And what's wrong with being able to find more than one meaning in something? Genuinely. What determines what is correct? What the artist intended? I as an artist sometimes find things I didn't intend and find that cool. There are probably artists just like me. Also what if Neil agrees with what I have to say on his work, will you find my opinion valuable now? Genuinely curious.

[@sushigooo8061]

@@ChristoffRevan I wasn't saying that's the only thing I saw in the movie just another thing I see it as. It's a story about appreciating what you have and the lies of a false paradise. It's a cautionary tale. I think my observation fits under that umbrella of a meaning.

[@Tulip_bip]

i've been obsessed with coraline ever since it came out. but i never was really able to explain what it was about. i just kind of appreciated it for the art and the ideas, but i always thought there was some 4D chess level deeper meaning that i couldn't find. this video is so satisfying because it explains this whole movie in such a simple and clear way. it was staring me in the face all along and i was looking past it, trying to see something further down

[@SmokeyGray-jr7dp]

i’ve always been obsessed with this movie ever since it came out when i was a toddler, i’ve seen it hundreds of times and never have i ever thought of it as a story about perspective. This is a really interesting analysis, and it allows me to see it in a new way too. thank you!!

[@hallemariewilson]

This is such a beautiful take on the story of Coraline - thank you for sharing this wonderful bit of perspective! I watch a lot of breakdowns and Easter egg videos when I’m really into a movie so seeing this open it up for everyone is really interesting!

[@Iamgudjoe]

I haven't agreed with you in the past, but I think you really hit the mark with this video. I never saw Coraline that way before, thank you for opening my eyes. XD

[@blushdog]

just got to see things differently

[@VIIKZ]

you put it into words so well, nothing changes for Coraline besides her perception and that's enough to make her world a little vibrant in the end. Love this vid!

[@ChamiKhan13]

i love how this video just gave me yet another reason to love the movie. like, all the little things were already so amazing in my mind, but truly, another perspective makes it all the better for me :P

[@darcielewis-burke]

Ah this video was so satisfying, explained in a clear and simple way without going into the lore within the story but looking at the story as a whole. Plus, the background music being something that isn't creepy or scary was a nice change too, amazing video through and through!

[@linnea_limetree]

coralline is a movie i grew up on and it was really comforting for me, i don’t remember this but my adoptive mom tells me that when i was a kid i couldn’t fall asleep without this movie on. all my friends as a kid and people i talk to even now tell me that coralline terrified them and i never understood why. i think coralline is a movie that everyone interprets differently based of the things they experienced in life and that’s why a lot of people see it differently as they grow, because as they’ve grown they’ve had a lot more experiences to learn from and in turn see it and interpret it differently. if that makes sense idk 😅

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

im the same way. i never understood why it terrified people. it unsettled me slightly but i always liked that even as a young kid. i think something about it just resonates with me very deeply. i love that it can be interpreted so many ways. that’s what makes it so good!

[@cherryrue89]

I loved this, thank you. Didn’t know I needed this. You brought a whole new realistic reasoning for the other world for me.

[@iamanti8367]

i always saw it as the perfect movie for parents to see that if they don't give their children attention they need, someone else will and that someone else may be bad and dangerous, but will earn a lot of trust if they know what buttons to press.

[@imissu1854]

This was such a Beautiful made video, script and background music

[@FieryKitsune-m1f]

When I watch this, I keep this theory I heard of (or maybe saw in a dream) in my head. The other mother was a part of her imagination, representing her desire to control. The scene with the hand at the end of Coraline was meant to represent her desire to control never fully going away.

[@purplelavender2848]

But if this was all in Coraline's head why did Wybie see the beldam's hand as well?

[@compulsiverambler1352]

Everything that happens from when she walks past the real Whybie's real doll of herself in her bedroom, symbolically representing her physical body, is depicting only her subjective experience, which is mostly fantasy until the end when her subjective experience becomes mostly reality again but with her imagination still intruding frequently. The Other world is all imaginary. She makes it to escape reality, as a child who is discovering her ability for immersive daydreaming for the first time. When the daydream gets dark, it is becoming maladaptive daydreaming, so she knows she is at risk of losing herself like she lost the doll when the snow globes distracted her with wonder (that early scene where the doll seems to get moved mysteriously as her back is turned actually depicts perfectly the way MD people experience noticing that we are not connected to our bodies anymore, and how you will find things missing because you absentmindedly moved things and knocked things over with no awareness). She is tempted to blind herself to reality and leave her physical body, like a lifeless doll, as a stand-in for people to interact with on autopilot, lights on but nobody home, others not knowing she is only ever half engaged with reality and the other half is in fantasy as much as possible instead of in moderation. That is why when she decides to break the compulsive, addictive habit of living in fantasy, she keeps finding clues that she is still in the Other world. That is what recovering from maladaptive daydreaming is like, you keep noticing that you are half in half out of reality while doing something that you had decided to be fully engaged with reality for, or that you can't even for one second fully get rid of images of your daydream world, they are constantly vaguely in consciousness distracting you all day. She knows that never fully embodying herself again consciously, will start to feel like being a disembodied spirit, like the ghost children, letting her body live on autopilot, mentally neglecting reality and her real life forever just as her parents mentally neglect her and interact on autopilot. Except they are on autopilot to attend to real life obligations with a future focus, and Coraline is on autopilot to attend to fantasy, ignoring the real past present AND future. Most people can't live in the present easily but MD people come to realise that while what we do is more dysfunctional, what most people do is not healthy either. She wants to save her parents from their detachment from the present moment but can't help them see their problem without engaging with reality again. She has to fix herself before she can truly help them, and it is a long process to recover from fantasy addiction, so the ending is perfect, everyone is still broken but the process of Coraline choosing reality and healing has started.

[@marleenmeijer6148]

Thank you for this beautiful and clear explanation. Also well done with the editting!

[@WileyCylas]

As somebody who was severely abused as a child by her parents Coraline was one of the rare protagonists I could relate to. She fought back in every way she could as did I. We have this stereotype of abusive victims never doing this

[@ChristoffRevan]

Except...she wasn't abused, just a little neglected because her parents were busy with literally moving and work. I don't know your life experience, but I'm tired of kids coming online and trying to make out all parents to be evil...the majority of parents are either good or at least try to do the best they can. I'm not devaluing your experience, but not everything involving parents and children in either the real world or fiction has to involve abuse. Anyways, I will say though that you're one of the few that are more honest...most kids that post online about so-called "abusive" parents in reality are just lazy, meanspirited children that view anything their parents do as being "bad"...you can have the best parents in the world and these kids will still cry out "abuse" on the internet for virtual karma points

[@Calliemariie]

​@@ChristoffRevan Wtf are you going on about. Someone shares their experience and you start complaining and invalidating them for no reason? Get a grip

[@steelfalcon9294]

@@Calliemariie he simply said how Coralines parents never abused her since they were always busy with work. How is that complaining? Its him giving his view on the relationship between Coraline and her parents

[@Okapi8]

@@ChristoffRevan I'm pretty certain they're referring to the other mother, not coralines real parents

[@butexab]

as a coraline fan, i must say, FANTASTIC video essay my friend

[@OshynC14]

I think everyones experience of coraline continuously changes as you grow, not nessasarily because we notice new details, although obviously we do, I think our understanding of metaphors and our personal ideas of whatever the metaphors mean changes our perspective of the movie, so it impacts us more intensely than the time before, which I feel is the most magical thing about this movie, I never feel like I’ve already watched it 20 times.

[@ageb9811]

That was a really nice concise analysis of the movie! Great job

[@janecherrytree]

I remember getting the DVD as a gift when I was around 10? I watched it with my family and some of my older brothers, and I remember vividly one of my brothers saying "is this really a children's movie? It's like....almost a horror movie." I loved it then, I love it now haha

[@Yolo4Life2023]

stop because that gave me a wholeee different perspective on coraline THANKYOU!!! That was so good bro

[@amythest5248]

0:56 persona soundtrack mentioned

[@michaelbaines]

What a brilliant way to interpret this film! You’ve captured its deeper meaning in a way I’ve never quite been able to articulate. From my perspective, you’ve truly personified why I love it so much-how it challenges you to think beyond the surface. Your insights on perspective are spot on; it’s a powerful reminder that our view of the world is just that-our own. This film’s moral depth, though wrapped in animation, speaks to real-life complexities. Thanks for helping me appreciate it on an even deeper level

[@michaelbaines]

This is a bit much, maybe I've read into it too much. Nonetheless, you've articulated the meaning of this film perfectly

[@paulwilliams1731]

I loved Coraline, but the constant theorizing and hundreds of multiple part videos incrementally breaking apart the movie for the sake of making up an entirely different narrative in an effort to cash in on the success of previous videos really dampened my enthusiasm for it. There was a month I must have watched the film at least once a day. But the way it started to blow up around 2015 as this huge conspiracy film just got overwhelming and exhausting. And I feel like it's shifted to people making half hour long videos on the movie simply restating the theme again and again, as though it's a hidden revelation. The 'true, hidden core' of the film. Not that new viewers might not be keen to that, but as far as the movie goes, for me, I do still enjoy it, but not to the degree that the 'fandom' seems to. It turned me off from theories in general, really. A lot of times people just mine a story for views until the magic goes dry.

[@SamPiez]

"I would've died" "That's nice"

[@NovaStarfox113]

They need a back story on the ghost children she spied on our lives through the little dolls eyes and saw that we weren’t happy

[@lindseydrew9812]

I love hearing your perspective on this movie as it really helped me articulate my own thoughts on it. I always interpreted the ending as Coraline being able to take the colorful vibrancy of the Other World along with her, while being wise to the dangers that it brought. Thank you!

[@prenimystic]

Coraline is an art of work and precision. I adore it - my goodness

[@breezygirl3135]

What a beautiful perspective YOU have. This film is a jewel. It is so underrated! 💕💕💕💕

[@digitab4446]

YOU'VE MADE ME LOVE THIS MOVIE EVEN MORE!!!

[@fatmazza]

Never thought about Coraline as a modern day Alice In Wonderland. But it is.

[@CorVids1031]

I was Coraline's age and an only child (female) myself when the film came out. I will always love and treasure it. I even wrote about it in college for my final essay in a course about horror movies.

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

not to be a smart ass, but coraline isn’t an only child.. still awesome you could relate to it and im assuming it helped you as a child :)

[@kuwagattan]

compared to all the other analysises of coraline this one shines to me the most because it isnt oh so complicated or looking into tiny details just to prove something.. very charming video

[@cyb3r.punk13]

My favorite movie ever. I’m like the biggest fan and will always be, it’s such a detailed movie and I think one of the reasons people can’t seem to understand it, is because you have to look deeper into it. Amazing movie and soundtrack💙

[@LossBH]

i didn’t remember much from watching it when i was younger but wow. actually insanely good movie! gonna try to go through all the laika films in anticipation of wildwood. great video, love your work!

[@xristinarose2409]

Not only that. Its also the unique personality's (unlike some other movies where you could remove the mc and everything would be the same or very similar boring personalities), the music, the animation, the rather darker twist to it and so on! 😄 it was an absolute love for me 💙 the grass seems always greener on the other side

[@breezygirl3135]

You made a great point about her other mother …. Her other mother showed Coraline the way Coraline wanted to see it. She knew how to appeal to Coraline to try to trap her there.

[@JaimeLynBarbarian]

I think Coraline & James & the Giant Peach would get along ❤

[@nanitorres9266]

This made me realize so many things about my own personal life and the struggles I’ve been facing. Tysm for this video, and tysm for this whole new perspective 😊

[@deadringer444]

This was probably my favorite movie when it was released and for the year or so after. But I’m just now thinking about the line you included a clip of: “how can you walk away from something and come right back to it” !!!! Wow that is a much more heavy sentence than my child brain realized

[@SonnyB.Greenware]

wow you’re so right !! and he said “it only reaches as far as she wanted to see” which i feel like just makes it even more heavy lol

[@kiaracross6422]

I agree, when I watched this as a child I was so confused and I felt like the movie shouldn’t have been over and I was so confused and left with so many questions. But it is one of my favorite movies for this day and as an adult I totally understand understand the meaning behind it.

[@gr0ssotron146]

Quando eu descobrir a ideia de perspectiva em Coraline minha cabeça simplismente se montou como um quebra-cabeça

[@mheiviesdior]

(2:24) Coraline: "I would have died" Coraline's Mom: "That's nice" Dark 💀💀

[@spacetrace5477]

I hear incredible song picks from Pokemon, silent Hill, persona and others. Can someone identify them?

[@ashleymorra6725]

Great message this still is my favorite movie since my childhood

[@ninjafalls1739]

I agree with everything except the original Parents. No their not the worst, and yes I love how coraline realizes that parents struggle. But that’s no excuse to make comments that make coraline feel like a burden like. The dad at least tried to make it amusing or comfortable for her. But the mom..? “Will you stop pestering me?” And “You stay out of the way” She probably didn’t mean any harm but these words can still be hurtful and make a child feel like a burden so I understand why coraline did not feel as close to her actual mother. I can excuse the food and the school uniforms and whole money thing. And ESPECIALLY the closing the door thing… But there are some things that are unnecessary and that was one. Coraline is 11 as a parent you need to expect your child to not understand and have occasional issues, it’s your job as the parent to help your child become comfortable in their home, not leave them to “figure it out”. Now I’ll give her points for the gloves and the grocery thing, but just because you say “we can pick you out something YOU like” doesn’t erase the hurt from before. If the mom had apologized for her attitude and explained why she snapped then I would 100% agree with everything you said about the parents. But she didn’t apologize, she got what coraline wanted but that feels more like buying the child’s love. Now I admit coraline was too young and close-minded to understand what was really going on and her perspective was focusing on herself, I admit that. But the comments her mother made and the way she brushed coraline off and tried to ignore her? That certainly didn’t help the case. Just wanted to mention this, very good take on the movie!❤

[@BGYMix]

I absolutely love this movie. When I first watched it as a kid, I remember I was scarred since it was so creepy! I genuinely couldn't believe it was a kids movie! But now, I really love looking back at it and watching it again every few months.

[@melannydayrethratliff1309]

Yeah in the past years of analysing movies, is not that I am too old but I have seem some movies drastically different from one another and I can say only sometimes execution is better than originality.

[@LisaKini]

welcome Adding your perspective to my collection *chef's kiss*

[@zharik]

coraline scared me too much mainly because i haven't finished it the first time i watched it in the young age of 7. i was TRAUMATISED by button eyes for a few years 😭

[@EmiL_from_NieR]

It doesn’t help that those effing La la loopsy dolls came out around the same time and they had BLACK BUTTON EYES 😭

[@zharik]

@@EmiL_from_NieR OMG EXACTLY

[@sunsetlover123-y7c]

Gotta love how the smiley face drawing in the intro matches with The Other Mother's face in the thumbnail lol

[@Ad-qt8lx]

1:35 i like what u did there

[@joesycic]

just stumbled across this video as the new 3d remaster for coralines anniversary just came out me being 20 years old now and growing up being terrified of coraline but watching it at my age now i have a whole new appreciation for the film and im so passionate about it but cant quite describe how i feel properly, which leads me to this video which is short and i can show to everybody in my family to finally explain how i feel about this movie you have pin point perfectly explained the movie how i see it and the life lessons it teaches which are beautiful, aswell as noticing the pure love put into the creation of the film. 10/10 video sorry for rambling :)

[@breathingunderwater]

As a fellow stop motion enthusiast, I had a similar reaction to both the film and novella upon first viewing/reading; appreciated the craft more than being enthralled by the story. And at risk of getting lambasted by his fans, I think the issue is that Neil Gaiman is more concerned with non-cohesive imagery and world building rather than traditional narrative storytelling. I keep trying, but I just can't get as into his work as much as others do and want me to because as much as I enjoy his premises, characters (in a vacuum), vision, visuals, etc., there's something missing from his stuff that draws me in emotionally, keeps narrative tension intact, and pays off all the wild, imaginative ideas and concepts he sets up. I think he's more of an "idea" person than a nuts and bolts "story" person.

[@ceinwenchandler4716]

I agree. I've only read two of his stories, and while "The Ocean At The End Of The Lane" had me sobbing, "Coraline" left me thinking "The premise was cool, but it could have been done better." (It also left me thinking, "Hang on, fairy girl? I wanna know more about that one! What's going on here?") But yeah... I don't think either the buildup or the falling action (the part where Coraline's finding the souls) was done well. The falling action in particular bothers me. The seeing stone feels like a deus ex machina, at least to me, and for the main challenge of the book, it all happens way too fast. Granted, that may just be the fact that I'm a young adult reading children's literature, and I'm now used to Sandersonian climaxes that take up a full third of the book. Sorry about all that. I just... I wanted to vent to someone, and I feel bad about that, because Coraline is the sort of story I want to love. All the pieces are there. It should be amazing. The theory is awesome. But there's just something missing. The ideas are cool on their own, but they're not tied together right. That said, I also didn't sleep for a few nights after reading/watching it, so the horror certainly isn't lacking much.

[@breathingunderwater]

@@ceinwenchandler4716 Vent away! I appreciate your thoughts!

[@ponkosquish]

Absolutely yes the perspective aspect is so beautiful and as a kid I saw it so clearly 🥺

[@alex08111998]

Bro is that Genshin impact music at the end or am I crazy

[@Fly00kk]

Comparing very opposite works, but talking about this change of perspective: this is one of the reasons why Pollyanna is so dear to me (the book), because it made me change the way I perceived things, and changed my actions towards others. (By smiling more, and being more interested in others I saw the change in my surroundings). It’s nice to see that interpretation in coraline too! :) very nice video!

[@Dandelions479]

I always analyzed it as her parents neglecting her, and this other world represents drugs, and other distractions that people end up using, the kind of stuff that numbs the pain, but in the end causes more. Also her parents peed me off because they never truly redeemed themselves. I'm glad they seemed better in the end but Coraline needed an apology because her mental health could have been ruined.

[@juneslocker]

oh my goodness it's so refreshing to watch and hear a different perspective about the movie. while watching this, it made me think "wait yeah, that makes sense, I've never thought of that" thank you for this !! :D

[@lukehanson7554]

7:15 wait... The train track doesn't physically work where it doubles back on itself

[@DollyDeadhouse]

Absolutely amazing video. I love this takeaway from the film. I never thought of it like this at all. I'm only 22 but I feel I'm just growing up and learning about perspective on situations. This video makes me love Coraline even more. Thanks for sharing!

[@lightningwaves5436]

The saddest thing to me about this film is that she never escaped the clutches of narcissism. In the end, she chose to be a hero, thereby selling her own soul and becoming another lost child. Its a metaphor for socialization and the narcissistic conformity that comes with being socially submissive and socially compliant. Its a very deep film and only the bravest and most compassionately responsible can see its meaning.

[@JFairy189]

Really? Never saw it like it.

[@wilczus222]

"(...) only the bravest and most compassionately responsible can see its meaning." Oh, so some people like... you, yes? You're one of the enlightened few who TRULY see this movie's message, right? Doesn't it sound a little bit, well- narcissistic?

[@sophiaisabelle027]

Coralline had everyone in shambles when it was released for the first time. Dakota Fanning is the most suitable actor to play this role. She has the capacity to become this ominous character following people around and carry spells just to keep them sane throughout the duration of the film.

[@carlaarbelaez1159]

I really appreciate the fitting choice to have 'Tender Strength' as the outro song to this analysis

[@Soongebtoba]

The way you described the film is so perfect, you have a way with your words.

[@shaydanky]

i wanna get into coraline lore but idk where to start LMAO there’s just so much to dissect 😭

[@NightMythHunter]

never in a million did i ever think i would find TLOU and Coraline layered in one video together somehow, two of my favorite pieces of media ever

[@ayishalifts9635]

Wow.. new prospective unlocked!! As others have said it’s noice to not have another video on conspiracies (although they are interesting!) I’ve been listening to the audio book every night for like 3 months haha it’s something I can never get bored of and have loved the film since I was young! I just love everyone’s recent videos on one of my favourite films

[@xsomili5501]

Wow! As a coraline fan, I have not heard this look at the film before! I LOVE THIS