The Coraline Door Theory

Was the door Coraline left through real or was she just going deeper into the other world?
Most of us are familiar with the theory that Coraline may have never escaped the other world. This theory is primarily backed up by the cat disappearing and the garden at the end of the film. The cat vanishing was something he was able to do only in the other world and never did before she entered the door. And in the garden when panning out it looks like the Other Mother's face. Now while I'd love to unpack these two things I want to just focus on the door.

[@Kelaiah01]

I read one theory regarding why Coraline returns home after falling asleep in the Other World: it's because she didn't reject the real world. Notice how the first two times she goes, it's at night and she thinks it's a dream, so she's not fully committed to the Other World. But the third time, she intentionally goes during the day in an act of rejecting her life in the real world... and thus cannot go back like she used to.

[@purplelavender2848]

That's because the beldam shut down the portal to the bed of her going back to the real world when she wakes up because she probably thought that Coraline wouldn't return to her world but what was the point of doing that when she took her parents from the real world to try to make her come back to hers? she probably was testing Coraline to see how long it would take for her to accept the buttons hence shutting down the portal to the real world from the bed

[@badeggontheyoutube145]

Oooh I like that theory!!

[@Kelaiah01]

@@badeggontheyoutube145 Thank you! :)

[@imcrazy534]

To add to this, in broad daylight the other mother has plausible access to the parents beyond the tunnel because they might be around close to the door, and therefore within reach. Juxtapose this against Coraline having to be lured to the door at night by the mice for the mother to have her.

[@RedSaldana]

I get the thought process behind these theories but usually they can be explained by something very common- aesthetic. Having Coraline go to bed and waking up in her real room in the same position makes for a very pleasing time-lapse cut. Easier to animate. And having Coraline "walk around the globe" and having her come back to the front of the house is, again, just because it LOOKS nicer. This problem comes up a lot with movies in general- directors and editors just want pleasing aesthetics and then audience members take it as "oh that's wrong it has to mean something"

[@maximoesco]

honestly can’t even disagree with you, animation and especially stop motion take SO MUCH TIME, im sure even some times just out of being more efficient with time they just kept the same model for certain parts, and i agree with the aesthetic if she woke up in a different position the scene wouldn’t be as satisfying for the timelapse. I think it’s just fun to over think things and make the movie deeper than it was probably intended.

[@RedSaldana]

@maximoesco oh absolutely! It's a blast making theories for sure. I love watching videos about these things.

[@jacklynnielsen]

however the director or animator said everything in this movie is intentional. They had to animate everything, while yes it could be for looks, it definitely could mean something deeper. I mean they were also able to make rain which is hard to do for stop motion/claymation

[@syweb2]

@@jacklynnielsen "Intentional" also applies to aesthetics, though. Everything is manipulated to create the desired effect, and that includes making things less realistic if they look good or fit a desired narrative or visual theme.

[@hangingrei]

I'd agree with you if it wasn't for the many animation cuts they had simply because it didn't fit the atmosphere of the movie. Not only that, in the deleted scenes extra, the director mentions a dream that Coraline was supposed to have instead of simply waking up in her real room. Here's how the director described the scene: (Link to extra) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn_ThWyOisyphqM "Coraline is meant to dream of these mice that come into her dream and they were going to sort of sing to her and then disappear-- and in shifting sequences around in the film that dream disappeared. We went right to Coraline going to the other world the first time she goes to bed." Knowing that the mice were the ones that led Coraline to the other world, it wouldn't make sense that they'd bring her back to the real one, especially after entering her dream and luring her further in with the song and dance.

[@natyc19]

I think someone mentioned this in their theory but the Beldam doesn't just want their souls but the love of the children bc it's more powerful that way

[@StarlasAiko]

There are plenty of old European folk tales and fairy tales in which the supernatural creature needs consent to victimise the targetted human. It's the Deal with the Devil kind of scenario. The Beldam seeking the child's love and consent might not be a matter of want but may be an essential physical requirement to be able to gain the child's soul.

[@TheAlbaner990]

The author commented on the story being a faerie tale which kin of confirmes the whole idea in my mind

[@MrAdryan1603]

The Fangirl's Coraline theories are the best I've heard since I first saw the movie. She's the first person I heard who had this theory. You must watch her 46 Coraline theories lol. They are amazing

[@hannahlarocco4699]

Wow

[@moomimi]

It was by The Theorizer he has a really fleshed out videos of Coraline. That brought this to light ages ago. That Coraline is stuck in Limbo and that Beldam feeds of the love from the children or them being there.

[@vionaelbe]

I always thought the first two times Coraline went to the Other World, it happened in her dreams. Dreams induced by the Other Mother, sure, but still dreams. The fact that she woke up in the "real world" every time, and the weird spiral things you can see through the windows when Coraline runs through the hallway in the real (dream) world... I never even thought twice about it.

[@badeggontheyoutube145]

woah... it makes sense! I never thought about it, I really like your theory!

[@Crafty_boy70]

Then how did her poison oak rash heal? I thought that was a plot point proving that the otherworld was real.

[@brandonalaniz3802]

The only thing wrong with this theory comes when reading the book. There's a decent amount of things that are different such as Coraline getting the magic rock before going through the door for the first time in the book.

[@Shtickyaight]

Oh

[@DeathnoteBB]

Well yeah Wybie isn’t in the book either. The book isn’t the movie

[@catpoke9557]

I think the empty part of the world is always there. Where you wind up when you leave it is irrelevant because nothing exists there. Nothing. Even direction is meaningless.

[@maximoesco]

I love how u worded that, i agree 1000%! it’s actually so scary thinking about it that way cause that means once u enter everything is just an illusion

[@catpoke9557]

@@maximoesco Yup!! It's really scary

[@shpaldi]

My theory is that when coraline met whibey there was mushrooms around the well and maybe she took them and is just tripping

[@maximoesco]

lmaooo thats such a funny theory

[@maruchanfideos]

this comment caught me off guard😭😭😭

[@pikachu-hd6lr]

Bruh🏃

[@rhyanjethro]

The other mother “loves a good game”, and the cat knows that. Maybe the “players” of the game aren’t the other mother and Coraline, but the other mother and the Cat. Coraline is merely the deck of cards that the players use in order to determine the winner, and the last scene basically just tells us who won 😂🤣

[@maximoesco]

dude this is such a cool theory

[@rhyanjethro]

The horror of it is that we are just pawns in a game between cosmic entities 😄

[@inplane9970]

That's actually the most plausible yet simplified theory to connect everything. The Cat is mentioned to be a powerful entity that even the Other Mother is cautious of, yet didn't do much to show why he's so powerful. And that's probably because the rules of the game forbade him from doing so or he had no reason to. It's just two god-like creatures making bets in their own pocket dimension.

[@SupernaturalSalt]

i love how at the end he's just like "idk maybe i'm just overthinking"

[@a_naotenhonome780]

6:31 My theory is just that perhaps a soul filled with love is stronger than a soul that was forced to be surrendered through fear, thus making a soul that loved her like a mother be nourishing so it makes her live longer than consuming a soul that instead of willingly giving in for her was forced through fear. This explains why she presents herself as a more caring version of the child's original mom, because she needs the child to love her and give up their soul by free will.

[@cellular7881]

My theory is that like demons the Beldam needs consent in order for her to gain Coraline's soul. Kind of like a deal with the devil.

[@wulkanichuj]

yeah and beldam is a fairy i think so she wants the consent rather than just simply taking the children

[@jm7781]

I got a simpler explanation, Beldam is a fairy and she needs to play by fairy rules. So she needs permission to take a soul, be it a "yes I accept" or a fair bet.

[@alandoyle1077]

Sorry if I’m being rude saying this but does your theory have any proof?

[@jm7781]

@@alandoyle1077 yes, but is way to much to put into a post. It goes from the fae imagery in movie and book to Beldam meaning beautiful lady.

[@pancakesxoxo1064]

Does your theory have something to do with the fairy circle? I need to know more 😭

[@pancakesxoxo1064]

What are the fairy rules exactly?

[@alandoyle1077]

@@jm7781 oh ok

[@DrZalmat]

The parents had snow on their clothes because as we were able to see earlier it was very cold and icy behind the mirror. That is explained perfectly...

[@maximoesco]

Yes i know, but if Coraline was back in her real reality this wouldn’t have happened because its not realistic, As i explained once she found out Beldam was a monster her reality got weird, her parents being trapped in the mirror doesnt make sense because how can she control and take her parents if they never went through the tunnel? This would either mean she can control both realities or Coraline is still in Beldams reality

[@dadstealer69]

@@maximoesco what about the doll? you don't think the beldam used the doll of her parents to get them through the door to capture them??

[@sparkleyy9473]

@@maximoesco yeah exactly what I was thinking, beldam can't control the reality, even with the doll all she does is spy on her next prey, if she could control the reality then she wouldn't have to go through so much shit so I do like to believe that all the weird things happening in the real world such as her parents getting trapped in the mirror are actually happening in the other world

[@Thetransformerfan]

I saw a theory and they theorized that the Mist/fog was controlled by the beldam because it only set in when the door was opened.

[@DeathnoteBB]

@@maximoescoMy theory for that was the entire story is her imagination. She’s lonely and bored, so she imagined the mysterious door in her house leads somewhere else. Remember the house is an exact replica of hers. She’s just playing pretend in her own house.

[@Lucasifii]

Interesting ideas. I had watched a theory several years ago that conspiracies on the idea that Coraline never left the Other World after "defeating" the Beldam, and that this again was part of the simulation, hence us seeing the cat go back through the other world at the end of the film; the idea that the other world is still existent after the final events. Said theorizer described it as the "Pink Palace Limbo" and it's at the very least food for thought. I'm inclined to believe it, because how realistic is it for a child to win this game that's set for her against a supernatural being? Furthermore,, demonstrated by a commentator, "On the cake, at the end, it says “welcome home” the “o” in the home is double crossed and when an o is double crossed, it means the person is lying. This means that that she is welcome but she is not home (this theory is from jessi vee,, i think)"

[@maximoesco]

woooooah the o thing is such a cool detail thats insane, and yea i’m saying!!!! like how could little ol coraline beat such a powerful being

[@chexfan2000]

Coraline winning is as realistic as the Beldam existing in the first place. Idk how you missed this but there aren’t actually magic portals to other worlds or talking cats or ghost children. Realistically, Coraline would just be bored in that house, end of the story. Suggesting that fairy tales become more realistic by changing their endings to be more cynical is absurd. Fairy tales are not ever realistic.

[@Lucasifii]

@@chexfan2000 With all due respect sir, the graphic novel and film are quite literally fictional thrillers. The book literally has a fairy in it, and the well is surrounded by a fairy ring. Regardless, I've been pretty neutral in most of my perspectives on the conspiracies of this film, as I've never been somebody who likes to take everything at face value and mimic the crowds. However, there are a lot of hidden details that stand out enough to get people thinking, and I think Neil and the movie directors did a great job with it, hence why people are still talking about it a decade and a half later. The Fangirl's theory is that yes, this fictional creature has already "won" in the sense that Coraline will never return, and she simply poses as her real parents (given that we've seen her do this without the use of buttons). I too see flaws with this argument, as how long can an act like that be totally pursued? What does "eating up their lives" mean? It's all food for thought, but I don't think we should disavow everything on the basis that it's fiction when it is quite literally a fictional movie lol

[@chexfan2000]

@@Lucasifii with absolutely zero respect, idiot, i was complaining about your use of the word “realistic” and wow looks like you didn’t address that one bit, in your little essay here. the beldam is clearly based in folklore and fairy tales, and thus it’s actually super “””””””””””””””realistic””””””””””””””” to expect the plucky young girl protagonist to defeat it by tricking it, because anyone who has the slightest familiarity with folklore and fairy tales knows they tend to follow story structure’s that don’t have twist “gotcha” endings or secret fake happy endings to trick the audience and only galaxy brained cynics know that actually the ending is a downer. it’s un”rEaLiStIc” to think that the book and movie have such an ending. it’s like the “rugrats are in hell” theory; it’s not based on anything suggested by the text, the conclusion was invented because such conclusions do well online, then justification was (thinly) devised to allow for the content creator to get clicks. It’s a cynical idea, created for cynical reasons, and cynicism is not realism.

[@egyptianflatearther6495]

If you read about space stuff, a blackhole sounds like a scary mythical monster that kills everything​@@chexfan2000so atheist fairy tales exist, they are just a lot more depressing and meaningless compared to religious tales (and I believe religion to be absolutely true)

[@poolpaws]

magic exists in the movie so why can't Coraline be a witch? she could be a witch with sparse control of her powers rather than a normal human. maybe her powers work best in her sleep. she could be transporting herself back home through her own magic. after all, it would not make much sense for the other mother to want her to leave. I think its through her very own magic. and the cat only speaks to her, and is drawn to her for an "unknown" reason. he is her familiar. forgive me if this is too "fanfic"-ish, but it explains a lot, including why she was the victim of the other mother. a young witches soul must be extremely valuable (and nutritious) to a creature like that.

[@Shtickyaight]

True true and with the stitching rod thing and fairy circle

[@poolpaws]

@@Shtickyaight thank you for mentioning those hints as well!

[@thecookj454]

Ya'll are reaching

[@lunalee8174]

one thing i don't see people mentioning is that when coraline runs out of the other house and ends up in the empty part of the world, she leaves from the *back door*. she ends up at the front of the house because she left out of the back. so yes, she did go in a circle.

[@maximoesco]

whaaaat…. noooo.. cause.. noo.. right?? nooo… cause she…. nooooo…

[@Freakcheeks]

actually the book explains the cat disappearing is how he gets to the otherworld in the first place. Also i think thats how the cat got into coralines house at night. He entered the otherworld, moved to where the house would be, and then exited to the real world. So him disappearing doesnt mean that theyre still in the otherworld. Just that the dimension still exists (even though the house may not) I think the cat already saw the othermother before he snuck into coralines house at night and thats why he did so in order to keep an eye on her.

[@badeggontheyoutube145]

I personally dislike the theory that coraline never left, not only because it makes no sense to me, but mostly because the book makes it very clear that she comes back to the real world. I think the cat vanishing is just a stylistic choice cause it looks dope. I think that if the beldam had the power to create a world that's exactly the same as the real one, without button eyes (because it creeps the kids out), she would have done it from the start. But I really enjoyed the video! I suggest everybody to check out the book, because it's very spooky and fun, and it's gives more source material for new theories! Like, the rats in the book are extra weird, I remember spending hours thinking what do they want. They can sing for some reason? But can't talk tho. They creep me out.

[@lixxiin777]

i agree but i also think she chose to have most of the characters have button eyes as a way to signal to coraline "look, everyones wearing them. nothing bad is gonna happen to you" maybe to make coraline feel like she sticks out

[@badeggontheyoutube145]

@@lixxiin777 oooh makes sense!

[@staydetermined6717]

And the mist/fog goes away after she escapes and it’s a clear day, before hand it always so Damn foggy

[@wulkanichuj]

maybe the button instead of eyes are kinda scary, but if you think ab it more theyre also really interesting and fastinating, especially for children that are bored all the time, theyll take anything

[@rosezelecki1756]

I've never watched this movie. But now I feel I must! It certainly was a favorite of my children. I think your description makes me even more curious to know "why" they liked it so much! 😊

[@maximoesco]

should definitely watch it! gotta be one of my favorite movies, its a little creepy but the story and characters are amazing

[@-theHappiestPerson-]

@@maximoesco when I was younger I always chose i watch this movie, despite being horribly terrified.

[@Futurebound_jpg]

I had nightmares about this movie as a kid and it was still my favorite movie! It’s just so fantastical and beautiful, and unique! When every other kids movie is so formulaic, even the amazing ones like how to train your Dragon, this weird creepy movie really stands out from the crowd. I feel like it’s more of a moving art piece than a children’s film!

[@BelovedVanillaBean]

I certainly hope you get what you deserve for not watching it

[@petraleopold2713]

​@@BelovedVanillaBeanLmfao wtf chill😂

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

I don’t really buy into this theory, and I’ll explain why. It makes a lot more sense that the rats are the ones who carried coraline back because as the cat explained their principle role is to keep watch on coraline and report back to Other Mother. The scene where we see that the parents are trapped in the mirror was always weird to me as a kid, and admittedly the Other Mother may have influenced what Coraline was seeing, but there’s too much evidence that the world in that scene and in other scenes like it is real. The Beldam is not creative enough to make up a store where the only thing Coraline likes are the gloves.

[@purplelavender2848]

The doll with the button eyes wasn't with her when they were at the store this would explain how the other mother didn't know coraline wanted gloves and not a sweater

[@Fountainova]

I like to think that the door is the one thing she cannot manipulate, like if you make a game you NEED to place a spawn point, so the Beldam can only move the door but not completely remove it. But you could argue that she could move the real door somewhere else, so the other possibility is that she cannot alter the actual house, she could manipulate how it looks but not actually change everything around, she HAS to have the same house as the victim, the exact layout. It is like the spawn point thing, but instead of a small little thing like a door/spawn instead it’s a whole model, a whole house. It could be a power limitation, she can manipulate things but she needs to work with the victims house and everything. It’s the only benefit they have. Knowing their house layout.

[@naniengine]

"You can't sleep while there are enemies nearby."

[@maximoesco]

lmaooo

[@playitpurple007]

Honestly coraline one hits home for me because she’s the only child just like me, and her boredom and defensive curious actions is what she actually needs to maneuver around her strange reality 🤌🏽

[@z.vfx__]

coraline leaves through the back door to go to the well which is behind the house, so basically she did walk around the world and the thing about how she moved to her room by going to sleep, i think magic was being used 😭this video has so many reaches but i enjoyed it!

[@maximoesco]

whaaaat…. noooo.. cause.. noo.. right?? nooo… cause she…. nooooo…

[@ebuzzy782]

one thing that ruins this theory for me is that; basically all of Beldam's creations always have buttons for eyes, so if she faked coraline's parents going missing wont the fake "real" parents have button eyes aswell?

[@maximoesco]

The reason all of Beldams creations have buttons for eyes are because she owns their souls. Also Beldam when in her final form doesn’t have buttons for eyes. Beldam doesn’t own Coralline’s parents souls and also if Beldam can create entire realities and houses and people and huge gardens and flying insects im sure she can create human eyes. If Beldam recreated her parents with button eyes Coraline wouldn’t have went back through the tunnel she had to make it believable for her to go back. I don’t know just my opinion thank u for watching and sharing yours:D

[@ugwtbmgf]

This is one of the best videos explaining this theory

[@maximoesco]

i actually appreciate that so much

[@Inaya-Shakeira]

Each time another youtuber comes through with another theory, my heart rate just increases. Like goodness this movie really is just pure gold.

[@Eshtian]

Who said the cat can't teleport in the real world? It's never stated that he couldn't

[@marcelguinhos9022]

I think the correct explanation is that the first times she entered the door, it was a dream. And the last time she was actually there. Or maybe, she cant stay there, and when the other mother gives her the clothes she cannot go back by simply sleeping.

[@ikeschrager9903]

This movie used to creep me out as a kid I don’t think I’ve ever watched it again might have to check it out

[@teeheeteeheeish]

I mean I guess, but in the end she is interacting with the quirky characters that live nearby which I think are represented as being quirky enough to be not replicate-able

[@thethingiamrn]

some one on tiktok also made a point suporting the theory that coraline never left .Using the squid, in the regular world it has one point while in the other world it has cat ears, at the end when shes supposed to be in the regular world the squid still has cat ears meaning shes most likely still in the other world

[@maximoesco]

woooooah thats actually so crazy, its so cool people can find little things like that

[@Kitty_Girl_Candi]

"And have snow dripping off them when there is definitely no snow outside" They were trapped in a snow globe for crying out loud.

[@Timmyjg2004]

Please do more theory’s on this movie and others like sponge Bob etc, I’ve subscribed in case you do!

[@maximoesco]

I will! Thank you so much for the support it means a lot!

[@Froggerpoggers]

I honestly just thought since she loved sewing buttons on dolls, she entered the door and her dolls came to life and it was like her lesson that dolls also want eyes or something

[@lukeketcheson]

thank you for getting to the point immediately

[@Finlaythelegobuilder]

TLC waterfalls is a really good explanation as the main line in the song '' dont go chasing waterfalls please stick to the rivers and the lakes that your used to'' is saying dont hope for things you you cant get/achieve as it will haunt you for a long time

[@AveryHyena]

Good all for except the garden looking like the beldam's face. It looks like her face because she was the original owner of the pink palace. Also, the beldam isn't a "supernatural spider creature". She is just a normal person. Or she used to be. What IS supernatural, is the other world that "was there before and will be there when you fall". The reason the beldam looks like this is because she's augmenting herself in order to survive, using the powers and rules of the other world. The beldam is a victim. She's just trying to survive.

[@peytoncooke1334]

I remember seeing this but I believe she is still in the other world even when she returns through the tunnel. In the beginning of the movie her mother looks like she has a crooked or curved nose but every shot after that even when she’s in her supposed “ real world” her mother has a straight nose.

[@nervshmrv1245]

2:51 Nah, Coraline's mom takes her to a clothing store with hundreds of other people, so she couldn't have replicated everything

[@superhase3206]

Yes, exactly what i thought it must be real, my theory is the first 2 times she is dreaming, and the beldam influences her dreams, she has - as we know influence on the real world, as she "spawned" and moved the doll. I dont think the guy watched the movie xD haha

[@delfoloveakadellasmissiona1369]

The book provides more explanation that fills in the gap. Including the corridor.

[@Jinbustu]

2:05 Unless if the other mother deliberately can MAGICALLY teleport her back into the real world on her bed

[@DanlB0]

The only reason Coraline didn’t wake up in the real world is because she pretended to fall asleep

[@teacoon6399]

Beldam is most likely a sort of Fae. There are some Fae who can act without permission, but there's a lot of Fae who can't act without permission.

[@ender7278]

I'm pretty sure she just teleported back into her real bed. Seems perfectly reasonable given how magical the Other World is.

[@vanallesennogwatmetsara3822]

Bro’s slowly outsmarting Henry Selick himself

[@ella-sj8bu]

one thing i've always wondered is what coraline is actually eating in the dinner scene. we saw with the jumping mice how in reality they're really just rats with an illusion hiding what they really are, so i'm really curious as to what the beldam chose to actually feed coraline

[@maximoesco]

Oh wow i never thought ab that.. She was probably eating bugs to be honest🤮

[@Lunar_enigma]

This isn’t like other theories. This isn’t one that doesn’t “line up” or not make sense. It perfectly adds up, and makes so much sense . And if this theory is true, Beldam was at-least nice enough to let her have victory. But it leaves on more question. What happened to the real parents and real realm…?

[@coreydx8602]

Its definitely a reach, plus, why was her hand the only thing that was able to move? If she was still in the fake world, you would use your entire body, not just her hand.

[@yaboi672]

just started watching why is there a jumpscare :(

[@maximoesco]

hehehe

[@TTerilee]

I may be nitpicking, but "Beldam" isn't her name or title. It's another word for 'witch' or 'demon fairy' or 'old hag' or 'beautiful woman'... I got carried away. In this story's context, it's probably witch/evil fairy.

[@maximoesco]

I do refer to her in the beginning as other mother, but I know a lot of people referred to her as the Beldam, and even when looking up on Google what her name was it said "The “other mother” - also called the beldam" I think it's cool how many meanings Beldam can have though thank for you sharing I actually didn't know that!

[@TTerilee]

@maximoesco oh, yeah, the ghost kids call her "the Beldam". It's fascinating because, in the book, one of the ghost children is a fairy, and she is the one who uses the word "Beldam". It's created much speculation as to the origin of the word. I apologize, though. It sounded like you may have been using it as the Other Mother's name. I see now you were not.

[@maximoesco]

No need to apologize I did refer to her as Beldam for most of the video so It practically seemed like I was using Beldam as her name I apologize for that.. It was just shorter than saying other mother so I ended up sticking with it... The kid being a fairy is so interesting, I really need to check out the book it sounds so cool

[@TTerilee]

@@maximoesco oh, yes! The book is absolutely fantastic! It's different, but very well worth it. I believe Neil Gaimon, like Henry Selek, is very particular about what he adds into the story: nothing is incidental. Even the words he uses are carefully thought out. I'm working on a book analysis myself. Hey- thank you for responding! Keep up the good work!

[@iantopia9132]

my theory is that Beldam can’t replicate things she hasn’t seen, for example, she doesn’t know how whyibe (or whatever you spell his name) voice sounds, so she CAN’T make his talk, She doesn’t know how the World looks After the pink palance, so thats why it’s white outside, BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T KNOW HOW IT LOOKS, All the things that Are made to spy coraline are Inside the house, not outside, plus what would be the whole point of the movie if coraline doesn’t escape?

[@lordoftheelements2112]

In theory against her not actually leaving. Her grandmother shows up at the end. The other mother can only recreate people and places she is already aware of. We never saw her grandma around the Other Family‘s house. She had never seen Coraline‘s grandma, and therefore can‘t replicate her.

[@q12aw50]

First ten second: It was never established the cat could only do that in the other world. You just assumed that. Also, the garden doesn’t look like the Beldam it looks like Coraline.

[@jtotheulian708]

here is a thought: what if we all are part of the beldams world. The world we live in is made by her, everyone we know is made by her. we walk through a normal door and we are transported into that world. We don't know if the enterance has to be some fancy blue and purple tunnel it could just be normal. What if the beldam is just somewhere in the world and we have yet to see her. What if we see her just as we are about to die like she is the grim reaper

[@maximoesco]

stop ur scaring me

[@briannahansen7641]

Well to be technical Coraline still got what she wanted and that was her real mother and father, and the cat did say even if Coraline did win the other mother would still get what she wanted, as a win win scenario, I think that's what the other mother was going for at the moment.

[@MariiaSidorenkova]

Haven't heard about this theory from any sources, but ... When Coraline talks to other children they tell her "She ate up our lives". And their souls are still fine (yes they are scared and weak, but not eaten, not damaged as a persona, and very very salvageable). This made me think that the other mother is not hunting souls - they are just the leftovers from the meal - she is hunting lives. That is why, I think that the beldame allows Coraline to "escape" back to what Coraline believes to be her true reality to continue living her normal live - while actually this is another simulation created by beldame to consume Coraline's live (because she will be living it not in reality but in this simulation, which is some kind of a spider like slow digesting process). And the whole purpose of the game in the other world is to make Coraline believe that she did escape and ask less questions about her "real" life which will be slowly eaten up by the beldame.

[@otamatonecomedy.6424]

The book says that when Coraline is exploring int the real world the mist is so dense that she unintentionally walks back to where she started, that is happening in the fake world as well

[@FortuneC573]

Well that ruined my childhood

[@LvUhcX]

Ikr now I’m sad 😞

[@rainbowmoss]

the reason her parents had snow on them was cuz they were trapped inside the snowglobe - though they thought they were in a freezer or smth - which is a critical part of the movie, as its how she learns her parents were specifically kidnapped to begin with (speaks to them through the mirror and then the camera pans to the snowglobe), and an object she aims to get back (so she can break it) in order to free them before they freeze to death. which is why she fights the other-mother at the end like she did, and why she even tried so hard to obtain the snowglobe at all despite the key seeming more important lore-wise.

[@maximoesco]

yes i know, what i was trying to say from bringing that up is that it was unrealistic and in the real world i don’t think that could’ve happened. This ties back to the theory that the end place coraline ends up at at is still the other world since theres still magic. Thank u for watching and taking the time to share ur knowledge hopefully what i said makes sense :D

[@rainbowmoss]

oooh i see! sorry for misunderstanding you initially, then. either way, your video was rather fun to watch ^^ @@maximoesco

[@Calypso694]

I like how coralline has become Blade Runner

[@retrosprawl3022]

If you did not notice when she goes back to her real world, the picture of the boy with the ice cream is still exactly the same as it is in the other world he has all ice cream if you go to the beginning of the movie the little boy in the picture doesn’t have like the ice cream fell off of the cone, but when she goes back to thinking her real world the little boy still has all the ice cream on the cone 😮😮😮

[@phoenix21studios]

Coraline is in a coma from the poison oak. Its all a dream and shes in anaphylactic shock.

[@rubysmith5957]

I forgot what the theory abt Caroline was but I strictly remember the words “if the beldamn were to go into the real world she would simply turn into nothing/dust” which could be why the beldamn also couldn’t go to the real world to bring back Caroline and in the movie when the beldame’s hand is smashed….cut?- off and ends up in the real world if it was Caroline’s supposed real world we would’ve seen the beldame’s hand fade into nothing in the film thus if it’s true that yk if the beldamn would go into the real world it would tennically be her death which I think is more proof that it wasn’t actually Caroline’s real world. (I’m sorry for the bad grammar)

[@maximoesco]

oh wow thats insane?? yea if thats true then ur exactly right , how is her hand in the “real world” and its not dust!?! Thank you so much for sharing that ruby u explained it very well, its crazy how many theories coraline can stir up haha

[@CrazyKatgirl172]

People who wish the film makers would just explain the entire story 👇

[@radiantkylie]

This was such a good theory. I wish it was longer lol

[@MasonCasey-fh6bo]

The reason I think she returns is that when the Beldam becomes Coralines mom she has button eyes, and only button eyes. Another reason is also everyone else not having button eyes. Also, I have a theory that the cat can go to the other world whenever he wants, or it’s a type of transportation he uses to get around.

[@no1z1bo1]

Is it possible the doll was also a sort key? A means of teleporting beings that weren't the Beldam in and out of the other world? Which would be why Coraline would wake up in her room in the mornings as well as why the Beldam could take Coraline's parents after she remade the doll into both of them?

[@nextos]

Just escaped into a bigger simulation. Gonna eat our soul slow, like god does to us.

[@VideosAndStuff6958]

I used to be scared of coraline I would cry whenever my siblings would turn it on😭

[@mif_sovremennosty]

What if the "reality" with a happy ending is what a child sees, when they lose their eyes and look through buttons? What if Coraline didn't actually win in Beldam's game?

[@That.Lady.withtheYarn]

She didn’t go back because she ate the food. Which is created by the other mother therefore she’s controlling her. She never left. The trials is just a game to get her to fully accept the surrounding and living in the other world.

[@Strawberry33d]

Her parents are way off at the start of the movie they just want Coraline to go away but at the end is a more realistic perfect world so Coraline would think it’s real.

[@anxia-tea5846]

as someone said, the beldam needs consent. She sends coraline back so that Coraline can be disappointed more and therefore raise her desire to stay with the “Other Mother”

[@jennyfrank4193]

She entwred the fairy realm in the beginning when she met yb. The ciecle of shrooms around the well is norse mythology, once entered into a fairy reel you cannot get back out (according to norse mythology).

[@bloodysweetzombiegirl]

Coraline did Not escape… At the end of the movie, when everyone is having a barbecue, celebrating; the camera pans out, showing the garden. Instead of it being Coraline’s face as it was in full bloom in the “Other World”…it’s the Beldam’s face. (I can’t help but feel Coraline and the Beldam are connected beyond what we see.)

[@amandasmith-lx4li]

I just figured that maybe coralline needed to be in the world long enough in order to stay there witch would explain why she falls asleep 😴 there then wakes up at her real home 🏡

[@jtotheulian708]

here is a theory, once going through the door coriline was trapped in the other world, made by the beldam, and the parents were actually other creatons

[@BeMoreWeird]

This is plausible to me, but I'd have to watch it again

[@HopperYTRealChannel]

I think it’s like a dungeon trap you go in four times the first time you leave by an external method you stay inside thinking you left but you are still inside the dungeon but you go in 3 more times making you 2 floor

[@luzellemoller6621]

i get it but the beldam could hafe used teleportation becuace we see her doing alot of stuff irl-im (in real life in mofie)

[@mathieuleader8601]

this showcases the strength of the Beldam as a reality warper

[@MelanieBellamy]

No bc if she didn’t escape, the creator would want to make another one in the creator would not really want to because it took a long time to make the first one, and when she came home on one of the nights, there were other people in the world that did not have button eyes and there is a proof that they were in the snow globe and they escaped. Also, the other mother is not a very good actress so when she escaped, it was all real! Thank you for your time😊

[@wanderingeldest5627]

There’s another theory that the other world seeps over into the real world. When Wybie said the well was so deep that you could see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day, I think he was referring to the fact that the well is a portal which would mean they sent the key straight back for the beldam. I’m not sure what this would mean in terms of the idea that Coraline never left, but I definitely don’t think she’s 100% safe. ⚫️👄⚫️

[@purepistachio]

She could’ve well been just dreaming the whole time, or she could’ve also been hallucinating, like what if coraline had a condition?

[@maximoesco]

its funny u say that cause a lot of people just think she took the shrooms in the beginning and was just on a massive trip lmaoo, honestly she couldve been

[@Kayta-Linda]

Wait, do people *actually* think she somehow “teleports back while asleep”??? That’s ridiculous! They obviously just physically drag her back knowing that she will return on her own! And once she made it clear that she won’t, that’s no longer the case! Why do you need a mystical explanation when it’s already very simple?

[@Lickzalot]

Make more videos like this, not just about theories. anything really, just on the same level.

[@maximoesco]

i definitely will , thank u so much for the support i appreciate it a lot :D

[@natyc19]

Is this theory based on both the book and the movie or just the movie?

[@maximoesco]

i never personally read the book, but some theories i referenced could have been linked to the book

[@alexgassaway426]

Just read the book a little while ago and this theory could never work in the book version. In the book, she goes through the door one time, gets thoroughly freaked out, and leaves through the door. Then, realizing her parents are gone, goes back through, does the game and pretty much a different version of the second half of the movie, and returns through the door. She only sleeps in the alternate dimension once, the time where she also wakes up in it. Also, in the book the corridor is more of a character in itself - something both the cat and the Other Mother fear - so It’s unlikely that it’s an illusion. As far as the cat, it’s explained that the cat can travel through backdoors in the dimensions at will, and against the will of the Other Mother - ruling out the idea that he can only do it in her dimension. It’s also a prevalent theory that the mist (present in both versions) is a medium that she can travel and manipulate through, which would explain how she could abduct her parents from the other side.

[@Yoursxx]

Maybe the cat just said "Ah Hell Nah" and left the house, eh idk lol

[@livingwithautism3789]

Maybe the cat just said “Ah Hell Nah” and left the house, eh idk lol

[@AyushmanBoodhan]

I saw you on tictok I enjoy hearing your theory

[@SnoFitzroy]

honestly I just think they simply didn't feel like animating all the instances of passing through the door - the way I see it, maybe there were even full visits Coraline went on that we don't know about? It comes off to me more like "they simply didn't show everything" but I do love the dark theory of "actually she's trapped forever and it's not a happy ending" because I'm tired of perfect happy endings. reality ain't like that. Even if you get the result you want, in real life, there is almost always a caveat or something worth regretting, like buyer's remorse for something you seriously needed, for example.

[@FreyjaDuToit]

Confermed our devises are listening to us in was just talking to my brother abt Coriline and now its the first thing on my feed and its not like iv been watching anything coriline related

[@WorkingJB]

Saw you video on TikTok as a slime video but went to find it on KZbin cuz this theory is cool

[@cantalope6980]

wow i never though of the happy ending as Coraline just ‘winning’ the bet and the beldam playing fair

[@cantalope6980]

would love to still see more coraline theaories 🙌🙌

[@marishkaspirit]

This doesn't make sense. After Coraline returned first time, Mr Bobinsky warned her via the mice that she was în danger, the ladies downstais also warned her she was în danger and wybie said how his Grandma told him the little girl dissapeared. Why would Beldam allow her to be warned against her if she control the reality as well and she wants to win her over? Makes no sense. I think Coraline is able to travel thru worlds,, just that Beldam controler what she could via their rats, because she wasn't able to come to the real world liek the rest, she is cursed to that place and has to lire them in. Also she got to the Point where she couldn't win her over anymore so she could have just tormented her as she was trapped instead of giving her a false sense of going back, because the result would have been the same. There was no Point în that "game" Coraline was able to come thru the little door briefly into the real world, but Beldam had her extended influience via the rats. She had to convince Coraline to come back willingly and also give her the eyese willingly. Being a dark creature of Black magic, she is devouring children souls, the part where she says she wants their love is fake. She just wants their souls and purity. And the cats are known to be the only animal traveling thru the worlds with ease în mythology. The Beldam face at the end just proces the house bleongs to her from the start, nothing else. She is tied up to the place by that curse, but the therm Beldam prove she used to be human at some Point and lived there

[@prodbyquick]

Karsten Runquist be like

[@icyvalleygurl2702]

She's playing with her food

[@EllaMays-o7e]

Bro, she was dreaming the first 2 times. Its that simple.

[@BAR0N48]

I relise that the first time she enters the door, she never goes back to the real world once. Because she sleeps she is still in the other world. That's why bobinski tells her not to go through the door or she would go back to the real world When you relise this, it explains everything If coraline 2 where to happen, it would be coraline relising that she is still in the other world or the beldam luring in another child in. Because the cat was going back to the real world not the other world

[@Elvisandstuff]

I think she woke up in the real world the first time beacause it was the first night but since she came back it became more permnate

[@Darth_Melek]

I think that because Beldam herself is a souless creature with no real eyes that has to consume souls she needs to eat the souls of her victims to exist, but similar to other creatures of myth she can't take them herself, she needs permission to "get in" so to speak. She has to work by a set of rules based on how she came into existense, similar to skinwalkers who also in folklore still have to follow a set of rules based on how they came to be. So let's say that when Beldam was a human who turned witch, the demon that gave her the powers she has decided to ask her permission just as an amusement turned it into a rule in the process, where she has to ask permission to take eyes like she lost her eyes. Ironically, and eye for an eye.