Why Nimona Made You Uncomfortable

[@muriel4907]

One moment that really stood out to me that it feels like no one else was talking about is when the wall comes down and people see outside for the first time is centuries. The fact that there was NOTHING THERE is absolutely heartbreaking to me because it even further proves that all of the violence and hatred was never founded on anything, and that pretty much everyone in the kingdom spent their whole lives living in fear of something that was never real to begin with. It was pointless. All of it. And that feels real to me.

[@FeministCatwoman]

This is one of the best realizations I've read about the movie, I wish more pointed this out

[@muriel4907]

@@FeministCatwoman I'm glad other people see this too! To me it's honestly SUCH a succinct summarization of the issues in the movie's kingdom, AND is super prevalent in how a lot of our society views certain groups, specifically the queer community. God watching the Director talk about how Nimona threatened their 'way of life' and that there are undoubtedly evil monsters outside the wall and that OBVIOUSLY Nimona is only out there to cause harm to the people of kingdom is EXACTLY the kind of fear mongering Ive seen people use to explain their transphobia. This movie could not have come out at a more relevant time. GOD I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS!! Dont even get me STARTED on how integrated that fear mongering is to all the KIDS in the kingdom like holy shit it's played for laughs most of the time but like!?!! The storytelling in that??? GOD

[@FeministCatwoman]

@@muriel4907 All facts!

[@sarah.s.flanagan]

the first time the wall got mentioned I said to my friend, "It's wild to think that in this world-building 100% of the humans might be living in this one city and the rest of it is just untouched nature or something." And then the wall comes down and my friend said "There it is!" and I was like "... They're just going to ruin it!"

[@goblinguy3103]

I remember just breaking down when Nimona tried to end her life- not only because *why*, but *how*. She tried to use Gloreths statue. She tried to end her life on the first sword ever drawn to her. I’ve lost friends before, and 9 times out of ten it’s not because of terrible people online, or that one annoying classmate, it’s because of that one friend you’ve had since kindergarten that turned on you. It was the look in their fathers eyes when they came out. That’s what kills us.

[@gearandalthefirst7027]

Not only the first sword, but the sword of the girl she'd gotten so close with. Think that's what you meant with the second bit but yeah, definitely hit real hard. (Also nice pfp)

[@uselessgay2341]

Why do I see you everywhere it feels like a one-sided friendship 😭😭

[@svarakissoon1189]

@@uselessgay2341same tho mostly on a dude's videos

[@FeministCatwoman]

I cried at the end (spoilers) .... When the people put up posters and flowers and memorabilia saying "we love you Nimona" to the presumably deceased character. The fact that they couldn't appreciate her while she was alive but instead waited until after her supposed death in order to celebrate her... That one felt so real.

[@atoucangirl]

on the topic of how and why, I LOVE that the movie doesn't tell you where Nimona comes from, or why she has these powers or anything. she just does. and it doesn't matter. what matters is who she is, and what she does, and why she thinks the way she does. and telling her actual backstory the way Ballister wanted her to tell in the train would have defeated that point entirely.

[@kikurosai]

The moment Ballister told Nimona that he sees her, I actually started sobbing. I got emotional a couple times before then, but that was the line that broke me. I'd kill to be told that by the people I used to trust.

[@iclynnx]

I understand completely what you mean. Especially that last sentence. Maybe not exactly "I see you", but something that makes me feel seen, you know? It doesn't have to be told, it could be shown through actions. And Ballister did show it through his actions too, he climbed on top of the statue to touch her heart. He physically stopped it, not just told her not to do it from the ground, idly standing by.

[@kikurosai]

@@iclynnx Yeah, exactly. You attempt to open up about your insecurities to a person you thought you could talk to without being judged, only to be faced with rejection and scorn. It really hurts. And I'm lucky enough that I have friends and other people I actually can trust, because pretty much every time losing that trust has happened to me, it was through an attempt to open up about myself. I think I'd have a lot more trust issues if I didn't have the support system that I currently do.

[@sockatoo_]

for me, it was the screams of the huge kaiju that nimona became. the roars weren't roars, they were human screams of agony, in every sense of the word. and it hurts to hear. but it's impactful.

[@nat_fanky_13]

For me the moment I broke down and cried was that when Nimona said that „she wanna let them„ stab her heart. Because it really does feel that way. What I personally see in this quote is a person qho struggled with long isolation of course, but also a person who experienced depression and soucidal thoughts. Also, it made me terrified when I realized that Nimona in her giant form didn't wanted to get revenge on anyone, she just wanted to end her life! So glad that Ballister was there to stop her.

[@Dr.Ice1234]

This, no more needs to be said.

[@yi-hira]

I feel sorry for the Queen Bal didnt mean to kill at the start. I wish i got to see more of her. She feels like a mother figure in the small amount of screentime she had

[@jasperjazzie]

yeah, although her demise was the driving force for the plot we don't really get to know much about her as a character beyond being what starts the story...i kinda thought it'd be nice if people, y'know, _missed_ her, but they don't seem to very much, everyone just seemed to move on really quickly aside from moments of outrage over it it's kind of a nitpick but still

[@Batsyblu]

Ok but in the movie’s defense, take the queen of england dying. Most people (including me) literally forgot she was dead after a while. Maybe they could have shown ambrosius being sad or Ballister grieving her because she was the first person to trust him but the country as a whole has better things to do than mourn a dead lady they didnt know for weeks

[@hirocheeto7795]

@@Batsyblu The queen in our world holds (or, held) no power, and her death happened during a period of increasing anti-monarchy sentiment. Granted, I haven't seen Nimona yet, but the queen seems to have much more power than none at all, and besides a vague bit of class conflict, there's no real anti-monarchism. Two entirely different situations here.

[@sarasteege2265]

​@@jasperjazzie That seems valid to me -- especially since I read the comic first and the Queen was a new thing to the story. Overall, I think it was a better direction for a movie than the jousting "accident" in the comics, but there definitely was some distance put in from the Queen's "assassination"/death to keep the story moving. :\ Wonder if there was some cut content. Or maybe more stuff in the background about the Queen's passing?

[@vanguardbreaker8826]

Fun fact, she was voiced by the same person who did Shadow Weaver in She-Ra.

[@Kittyboi.]

I don’t really get where you got the “this movie makes people uncomfortable” part from but I absolutely loved this movie. I never got uncomfortable, just emotional. And I really related to Nimona as a character.

[@T_E_G]

I'm guessing "makes you feel some type of way" type of uncomfortable? Although I wouldn't call it uncomfortable, just feeling something new you haven't felt before 👀

[@Yourlocaltrashgoblin]

I felt uncomfortable at many points, but that stemmed from being trans and having to face some of my own experiences head on, and fuck that hurt, but it was also beautiful and brought so much joy

[@brabbit330]

It certainly made bigots uncomfortable and called out. I know people who refuse to see the film because they heard it had gay main characters.

[@Korbura]

​@@brabbit330Those people are weak and pathetic. Maybe it's because I'm already the type of person that enjoys watching anything and everything but hope more stories like this are told without folks getting bent out of shape over it. It's stupidly close-minded since I know for a fact those same people would gladly watch anything with straight characters :/

[@residentrain7055]

Yeah, I mean this. I was pretty psyched to see an anti-the system movie. Doubly so when I saw the trans flag!

[@I.Simmonds]

"What if we are wrong, what if we were always wrong."- that the quote that had me saying YES. The are we the Baddies question from the British skit should be asked even when there aren't skulls on your uniforms.

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Thanks for reminding me of that clip

[@matrixinterface]

And herein lies the problem: What if being yourself and being different is wrong and bad? What if it is much more important to conform to the society you live in and follow values that promote a greater good rather than focusing on individual desires and wants? Because that idea, is what it would actually mean if liberals asked themselves "What if we are wrong, what if we were always wrong." And sadly, I seriously doubt very many of them ever ask that question. The overwhelming attitude in liberal groups is that it is conservatives that are wrong and need to change. Certainly all the images in your "closing thoughts" are definitely sending that message. And of course, that's the same attitude in conservatives groups of people as well. The difference is they're not hypocrites about it. They don't proclaim people should accept everyone while using the courts to punish and crush any person or company that doesn't wave the rainbow flag high enough. They don't blacklist actors for stating their beliefs online. Of course they used to. And now it appears that liberals are just determined to prove they're not any better. And it's sad to see because I used to have such high hopes for this movement. It was great seeing people able to come forward and find others that felt like they did. But then that changed so quickly to punishing anyone who didn't join in with all the hugging. I had someone ask me if they should show tolerance towards someone who uses racial slurs. The fact they even had to ask the question showed they didn't understand what tolerance actually means. I sincerely believe in tolerating everyone and that includes racists, homophobes, LGBTQ+, religious extremists and confirmed atheists. I value them all. And nothing pisses off liberals more than that. And it's really too bad.

[@I.Simmonds]

@@matrixinterface Have you unpacked what being different makes it wrong and bad? Is its a bible? A text that alludes to homosexuality and if I recall male homosexuality twice, and twice is stretching it. On the other hand that same bible disparages abuses of governing power, concentration of wealth, the wealthy in general, and colonialism in the new testament in specific, and all that being ignored by current powers that be, because that part of the religion (The major part) is inconvenient. Same idea of conforming to society, You seem to mistake the Liberal moniker of that of socially Progressive, if you were born in North American understandable that's the way the powers that be do their best to indoctrinate the people. SO when you say Society, do you mean an the North Atlantic oriented western society that serves its ruling class exclusively, predates on and steals the resources of the global south, and at the same time tries to enforce a fiction of its own universality? Cause I can tell ya that's a pretty fragile society that's going to have major problems when it meets resistance, as it currently is. Are actors On line being Blacklisted because of their beefs, or that they have shown their volatility if the face of minor inconvenience and the corporate system is risk averse? Do you believe corporations have morality? Their only morality is wealth accumulation, and out reach to marginalized communities is to gain access to potential markets. They do not blacklist actors because they have rightwing beliefs.

[@geekyboringfilms233]

The programme that came from is called 'That Mitchell and Webb Look'

[@gearandalthefirst7027]

@@matrixinterface If the society I live in cannot tolerate the mere EXISTENCE of millions of people, then it deserves to collapse under its own contradiction. I also hate the libs, they're unwilling to do anything meaningful to protect the marginalized. But that is because they are too similar to conservatives, not because they're too different. A civilization is not a life, it has no value besides what it can contribute to those living under it. Which, in our case, is little to nothing and even less every year.

[@creatureboi2811]

as people who are queer and trans, this movie had many moments where my partner and I had to take a moment and go "f*ck. that's a reference right? you saw that right? oh my god" on multiple occasions. at the end, we both cried. The fact that There's so. f*cking. much. packed into this movie and the smallest details within the dialogue and even the body language themselves. It's. so nice being the targetted demographic *in the right way* for once but. I'm really not used to it so this took us an entire hour of conversation and stunned silence to even process everything the movie had to offer. What a fantastic film. Moments where Ballister says "Wouldn't it be easier to be.. a girl? Just. A girl." / "What are you? No but. What are you." compared to where he says things like "Right, little minded questions." / "You never told me you could breathe fire?" (obviously freaked out, and nimona is nervous, but he takes a moment of pause and calms down) "metal." (nimonas catchphrase. she visably relaxes and looks extremely grateful). The realization that Nimona is going to the sword happened for me about halfway through the city, but when they got there? That yell. How easily they expressed such a deep emotion... Something this movie did amazingly was the fact that even though you could see certain things coming, they still hit you just as hard when it finally happened. Figuring it out didn't ruin anything, and that's what makes its simplicity so powerful and unique. It doesn't matter if you figure something out, because you'll still gasp or giggle or lean forward in your seat when it happens. "I'm Nimona. Just. Nimona." The fact that the movie made both being gay so extremely normal in the movie and yet still managed to effortlessly make this movie so similar to the queer experience, or any experience in which you're seen as a monster for being different... its amazing. We don't have those beliefs as children until we're taught it by our elders (like with glorith). As someone who's gender experience is for fluid and unconventional, the shapeshifting was something I could relate to. Not really knowing why, not really caring; only knowing that staying as one thing... it itched. It feels *wrong* because that's not how it's supposed to be. It speaks a lot about police issues as well, but I'm not as well spoken in that area to do a paragraph about it lol..

[@howellaboutno9500]

Honestly I found this movie and the message stupid lol. Especially that scene where Nimona turns into a dragon fighting people, then sees a girl and turns into a girl and is shocked when the girl is scared of her? Bitch I would be terrified if someone did that in front of me lol. I also just found her unlikeable. She wants everyone to just put aside their fear for her, and thinks everyone is mean for being scared of her. I didn’t find the message moving or emotional at all. Blue Eye Samurai did an infinitely better job of getting across the “don’t hate different people” message. This movie just felt like a vent movie for some random person confused about their gender and mad at the world for not accepting them.

[@hollowwoods7130]

​@@howellaboutno9500lmao OK transphobe

[@thespiritsdemise]

@howellaboutno9500 You do realise that's literally what nimona IS, right? It's a movie venting frustration and pain. It's a movie about feeling like a monster because of who you are, because of ignorance and a society that hates you for existing. The message isn't "don't hate people who are different" the message is "I see you and it'll be ok."

[@SynthApprentice]

The line that really stuck out to me was, "aaannd now you're a boy." "I am today!" Honestly, I was kinda annoyed at first because I thought it was just that one small line, just to check a box on some list. The more I thought about it, though, the more I saw in that context, and yeah, it's all throughout the movie.

[@howellaboutno9500]

@ritsdemise Eh, I feel like if anything, Nimona shows what's wrong with today's society. Expecting the world to just accept you for who you are, no matter what. "Oh, I'm not going to explain anything about what I am, you are just supposed to accept me because I demanded it. And you're not allowed to question me or argue." Idk, if it made you feel better great, but even as a LGBTQ+ woman, the movie's message was pretty mid.

[@Jawminn83]

I love how the premise of “just because someone is different doesn’t mean they deserve to be ostracized or criticized” can fit into and relate to anyone group or person. Any movie that can touch the hearts of everyone with one simple but powerful message, deserves to be Academy Award nominee!!!

[@arielclingan6690]

I heard somewhere once that “tradition is peer pressure from dead people” and dammit, I can’t help but agree. Using tradition as a basis for anything legal has never sat well with me, because it spits in the face of progress and often tramples the rights of others

[@ilikewildcanines-xg7le]

AMEN!

[@AegixDrakan]

I have heard that quote before and I've used it many times since. If the tradition isn't helping you or bringing you joy, why are you letting dead people peer pressure you? :P

[@nightfall3605]

Beau of the Fifth Column here on KZbin will use that phrase to tear apart anti-progressive talking points and legislation.

[@somenerdyblonde]

Things change when old men die!

[@queenbean7071]

​@AegixDrakan yeah I think this needs to be clarified tho For example my town have a famous tradition that's one of the coolest and happiest times in the town where most people get together to help work on it or enjoy it

[@Fishratsnatrualaquarium]

My family is Christian and as soon as I asked if they had watched Nimona they instantly said “no I heard that movie’s gay” (not saying Christians are bad but that’s just their reasoning for this)… I asked cus I had watched it, and writing this fresh after watching and asking family, I’m still in tears from the movies ending. This video made me wanna watch it and I’m very glad I did! Im young and unsure about literary everything but before I start rambling, the movies great :) and so is this channel ;)

[@skyjordan8438]

You should just accept that christians are bad

[@explodinglungs5974]

I made the mistake of watching Nimona with my parents and can relate to this comment. My parents are Christian too and while they DO NOT actively spread hate about the LGBTQ+ community, the background me and my family came from tends to poke fun at queer folks and only see them as novelties or gags. I watched Nimona with them under the impression that Ambrosious wasn't gonna confess his love to Ballister or the two wouldn't kiss since I read the book and Ballister and Ambrosious' romantic relationship was more implied and wasn't outright stated there. I was pleasantly surprised to finally see those two show affection and Ambrosious declare his love right on screen but also I was filled with immense horror since my parents heard and one was like (paraphrasing btw), "Wait, he meant it like a brotherly love right?". I honestly should have lied but for some reason I said "No, I mean it was kinda like this in the book.." Then things went on to be like, "When was this movie made? 2023? Oh, well that makes sense..." And then proceeded to tell the other parent in my family's language "There's gay people in the movie you chose..." Or whatever smth along those lines... Don't even get started about when Bal and Amb kissed, one of my parents yelled "EWWW" and for us to skip or cover our eyes... So yeah, should've just watched it with my siblings but can't really drag my parents for it too much, as I've said, usually the way my country depicts representation of people who identify as LGBTQ+ is rarely ever taken seriously and treated like those comedic relief side character who's only personality is their sexuality

[@isabellach]

@@explodinglungs5974 dang that kinda sucks. their relationship was so sweet, and they yell out "ewww" :(

[@matrixinterface]

I hear people saying they won't watch "Sound of Freedom" because it's "All about QAnon theories" or similar statements. And of course it's not. But there will always be people who just listen to whatever the media says on a subject instead of keeping an open mind and finding out for themselves. I personally think it's important to watch movies that ARE gay or that ARE all about QAnon theories. It's important to know what both sides of an issue are saying regardless of which one you support.

[@leandraleo281]

​@explodinglungs5974 my mum is homophobic too. Even though I've tried talking to her about it. I mean she's 50 plus and I'm not gay so I don't expect her to make a full 180 anytime soon but it hurts to see the way she reacts to anything queer. I remember watching that first scene where Ambrosius holds ballister's hand and just hoping my mum wasn't behind me😂

[@sophiaisabelle027]

Personally I think Nimona is a great film. Certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but by the end of the day, we have our own preferences when it comes to movies and television shows. Chloe Grace Moretz and Eugene Lee Yang both have amazing performances in this. We appreciate every one of you analyses. We will continue supporting you no matter what happens.

[@AFlyingWalrus]

It's a bait and switch title, I love this movie and what they did with it

[@dulcemendoza3526]

I don’t care about their cup of tea. This movie was a win for me

[@MrMLaidlaw]

@@dulcemendoza3526 Yup I don't care about your cup a tea either

[@daniapfel2825]

Yeah !

[@sagedebnath4253]

@@MrMLaidlaw didn't have to comment this :| just plain rude.

[@y0ffas]

as a queer person this movie made me feel seen, especially the way i heavily relate to nimona's explanation of what not shifting would feel like (the itchy feeling) which can be read as not showing your true self, in my experience it would be hiding the fact i'm non-binary

[@AFlyingWalrus]

It's a gives a voice to people that need it more than ever right now. I'm glad the move resonated with you

[@Deniolia]

im trans, and that has been, for a few years before this movie came out, my main way of describing dysphoria to people who don't experience it. so, to hear nearly my own wording being said in a mainstream movie, i have never felt so seen

[@seth.remar.supreme]

Please don't kill yourself. There is someone in the world who would love u even with your mental flaws

[@Deniolia]

@sethremar9203 trust me, wasn't planning on it. I am actually the happiest I've ever been since I came out, despite how much society seems to hate me. A loving and accepting family helps me out with that, but it's scary knowing so many don't have that

[@MrMLaidlaw]

I don't know why this is the main thing I see when as a straight person I barely noticed the queer stuff until everyone started pushing it our faces. It was a good movie

[@CorwinFound]

Loved this movie as a trans guy and what a lovely review. Regarding the light, another upending of stereotypes was the colour pallet. Red was Nimona (quite literally) and emotionally impactful moments or locations for her are bathed in red light. Green, although used not quite as consistently, is often the colour of the Institute and the Director. Most obviously the weapons of horror were green. Green meaning bad and red good is atypical and it created quite a bit of tension.

[@esuterunokitsune3556]

now that i think about it, ballisters sword had a red gem at the end, didn't it? It's just a detail, but...

[@CorwinFound]

@@esuterunokitsune3556 I hadn't noticed that! Almost assuredly purposeful. So much thought and care was put into colour and lighting that I highly doubt it was by accident.

[@LilayM]

Actually, green-is-bad is not such an atypical choice when it comes to lighting; see - the matrix. Green lighting is especially good at making things look sick, bcoz it's not sth us humans are used to seeing much. Also - color of acid etc. Green, purple and red are quite commonly used for "the baddies", I'd say. You are, however, quite perceptive and correct about everything else ; )

[@CorwinFound]

@@LilayM There are exceptions of course to the red = bad trope, but especially in children's animation red tends to denote danger. Paired with how dark Nimona's environment is, how often she is shown in shadows, she is absolutely being framed as the villain by all usual signifiers. The very first scene with her she's mostly just a silhouette in darkness with her pointy toothed grin and eyes shining out. I'd say in situations where red is used for the hero, it's a purposeful upending of the trope, usually to highlight a theme of questioning who the real villain is. As an example in Turning Red, is the panda thing a curse and something to be defeated or not? This upending only works if the trope of red/dark/black as a signifier of villainy is fairly firmly entrenched is the average viewers mind.

[@tempesttossed6029]

I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. I felt catharsis for once about my past and hope for the future. Edit: Neat tricks of storytelling that you picked up on. I hope that the title trick serves you well.

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Hahaha I'm slowly learning how to make titles and thumbnails. (4 years later)

[@Valentine011]

Honestly what made me the most thrown off was how blatant the movie was. It was not subtle about how the darkness around the protagonists was one inflicted by society, because theyre Others. How the golden gleaming light was a manufactured pretext to declare the society they had perfect and the world outside of it full of invading monsters that have to be guarded against. For an industry that largely likes to sweep queer folks into backgrounds and subtext, it was very strange to see a movie not at all scared of tackling generational bigotry and directly showing its main characters' queerness. Nimona (the character) found words for the feelings of being trans i couldnt, from the feeling of persecution and loneliness to the occasional desire to just let them consume you because then you wouldnt have to fight anymore. The description of her shapeshifting as something she *can* hold back on, but its still there, this itch to be who she really is and not what society wants her to be? Thats queerness baybee!

[@RoseLord]

Yeah I agree Honestly I like that you said you were thrown off by how blatant the movie was, that almost perfectly explains how I felt about it! I feel like it was too blatant, simple? And stereotypical in the story idk if felt very fast paced, easy for the characters and sometimes like random 360 of characters maybe I had my hopes to high and different expectations for the movie though I have no idea in what expectations I just felt bored and little disappointed and the word I was missing ~thrown off~ at some points but I loved and laughed at others its weird of mehonestly idk probably should just watch it again when I get the time also I’m not homophonic if you were assuming the reason of my slight problems/perception of the movie I’m queer and love queer romance

[@Valentine011]

@@RoseLord i dont think we agree tbh? I wasnt saying blatant as in simple, i was saying its very direct. Its not subtle in its portrayal of queerness. The plot wasnt reinventing the wheel, but it didnt need to. Buddy cop comedies are a dime a dozen, but what makes Nimona good isnt that its a unique genre take, but how it goes about it. I wouldnt agree that the characters acted randomly at all? They were pretty well defined and stuck to their character traits.

[@RoseLord]

@@Valentine011 oh it’s fine you don’t agree with me I was just saying I agreed to your statement it’s well written Yeah I think I was expecting a bit more Reinventing story like the main characters were amazing! and the rest worked well for they’re roles though I wish they showed more of Ambrosa (you the white knight I just no idea how to spell his name) and their relationship but I guess it was a kids movie so that’s enough for that but the main plot or problem was fairly straightforward/stereotypical Really thinking about it now I only can think of one thing that is kinda out of character and it really bugged me So I loved the nacho scene it was hilarious yet intense and I could feel their history and connection (but maybe it was just me) I appreciated that Bal stood up for Nimona and ended up leaving when Ambrosa was still bad talking her then he blew up at started the conversation arms swinging at Nimona when he would’ve had time, maybe I underestimated his value of Ambrosa’s opinion which could’ve been shown with him overthinking or panicking as he walks home or a bit of urgency by him seeing a guard following him or some commotion outside (honestly it just felt like to me an plot/writer pushed the situation, also I know it’s bad but I even smiled when they had cut back to Bal getting beat up just a bit of karma) I don’t know maybe I had the wrong mindset or wasn’t understanding the characters upset feelings from previous stuff in the movie like Bal had been betrayed and manipulated several times just shown to us and didn’t want to let Nimona to have the opportunity to try and persuade him I don’t know that’s just how I feel, thanks for reading my rumble and I really hope they make another movie idk what it could be about maybe the 3 of them exploring Nimona and Glorith’s past or outside the castle wall I guess we’ll see when it comes to that

[@Valentine011]

@@RoseLord you should check out the comic! ND made a great story.

[@RoseLord]

@@Valentine011 alright I will! (I almost forgot about the comic) thanks for the recommendations

[@yulebones]

Nimona is a primal scream of a film, and I really, truly hope that it gets through to some people who need to hear it.

[@Laezar1]

sadly I doubt it, I've watched a lot of "react" videos to this movie, and most cis people, even those that are onboard with the message of acceptance and love just don't even notice the fact this is a trans movie. The movie wouldn't make them empathize with us because they don't even *see* us in this movie, they empathize with Nimona the fictional character but they can't relate it to real life. When people say this movie isn't subtle... in a way I agree cause the trans allegory was so obvious to me I didn't even view it as an allegory, it was just a character sharing my experience it was so transparent with it too... and yet for those who need to hear it it's still too subtle, but if it was any more explicit they would hear it but they wouldn't listen sooo... yeah it's a bit depressing tbh.

[@B3DH3ADcartoons]

Nimona never made me uncomfy, but thats because I related to Nimona so much. I was so sad during this movie because it wasn't a dystopia for me. It was relatable. Hiding who you are because people will fear you. I'm trans, and people get very uncomfortable when I say that. They want me to keep it hush hush, even if they love me. A lot like Bal, they wanna protect me from the evil out there by telling me to tone it down. But thats not how to protect people who are different. You protect them by standing up for them when they can't stand up for themselves. And educating those who are still in the dark (or in this case, bathed in light) A lot of bad people, aren't bad people. They truly believe they are doing good. Tell them about the harm they are doing, and let them be uncomfortable. Be kind, but let them question things. Help them understand. And yes this can be exhausting, and you don't have to do anything, or you don't have to always educate everyone. You can do it sometimes or not at all, but be kind, and let them be uncomfortable.

[@_exolite]

I cannot tell you enough as a queer teenager how happy the representation here made me. I mostly connected with Nimona, being gender non conforming but seen as a “girl”. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@motziedapul]

This is an unbelievably intelligent and thoughtful look at the visual language of film, and I love that you picked up on it. I know a lot of people comment on how the Institute interior looked like an "unfinished video game level" but you can tell from the rest of the film that they wouldn't have missed that if they didn't decide it WORKED, because the Institute feels barren and empty and without any sort of personality, in stark contrast to the characters and their home that's cozy, colourful, messy yet feels safe and lived in.

[@imthewokerbaby]

not gonna lie the line where nimona said something along the lines of " i dont know whats scarier, knowing everyone wants to drive a knife through i heart, or knowing that sometimes i just want to let them. " like genuinely hits hard especially after knowing what the movie is putting into metaphor... there were also so many other lines she said that hit hard but i think that one just hits like a absolute TRUCK.

[@zwalde]

I’m gender fluid, and it’s a totally nightmare some days I’m a woman just like I was assigned at birth but other days I’m a man or non binary. My gender identity shifts but my body doesn’t. When Nimona talks about her shapeshifting I started crying, it feels so weird to have a character that represents me, I thought it would never happen.

[@frankbauernstein7234]

I'm sorry, live and let live and stuff, but I just cannot even grasp what you're describing here. That just sounds like trying to categorize moodswings and putting a label on your identity for simplifying reasons. How does someone even change their perception of their own gender on a daily basis? Don't be offended by this please, I'm just genuinely trying to understand what gender fluid means.

[@imaymellow]

​​@@frankbauernstein7234 Well genderfluid person here firstly it's not really we that get to decide when it changes it just does when it does. Sometimes there's one or a few more that stand out from the rest, but that doesn't invalidate. It's not a perception or an idea, but a feeling... a hormonal reaction, to be exact. Gender identity, gender expression, gender presentation are all different things. It's not just about the body. And moods are not the same feeling masculine, feminine, androgenous...

[@Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice]

@@frankbauernstein7234 This comment section is not the right place to have this conversation, since it's a single genderfluid person opening up and being vulnerable about a specific emotional experience they had about a movie. if you're looking for genderfluid 101, it exists in other places. Suffice it to say, OP is not the only person experiencing this, and they are accurately reporting their experiences. it's a thing that does in fact happen as described. Sincerely, a genderfluid person.

[@TySpaulding222]

@@frankbauernstein7234 No don't worry, asking questions is good. and as a gender fluid person who kind of fluctuates on the scale from non binary to male, Personally it doesn't feel like me changing the perception of my gender, Its just my internal sense of gender changing naturally on its own. I think most people have an internal sense of their gender, and I have that too, just more fluid than most (hence the name genderfluid). So my internal sense of gender fluctuates over time. Usually I'm most comfortable with he/they but sometimes my internal identity is more androgynous or sometimes its more masculine. It might sound confusing at first, and honestly it kind of is, but I usually just say I got by he/they and call it a day lol

[@TySpaulding222]

@@Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice honestly there have been like 4 gender fluid ppl here to answer a sincere question so I feel like this is a pretty good place to have a conversation

[@gnome_friend5281]

I wouldn't say that Nimona's plot is "simple." If it were simple, people would have empathy for "others" without having to be taught and reminded. The change from small-minded to experience-based questions that lead Ballister to bond with Nimona, the intentional simplification of Gloreth and Nimona's story by those in power, and Nimona confronting her deep loneliness and alienation are all plot arcs that, while not "subverting expectations," are still not represented enough and are one example of the many complex ways people exist as themselves and together.

[@wilberwhateley7569]

On a conceptual level, the plot is fairly simple - it’s the character writing that takes such a simple premise and *elevates* it to another level: like a master chef making a simple dish (like common spaghetti) with his own special blend on spices that raise the quality beyond what that dish would normally be.

[@skinkshamer]

@wilberwhateley7569 I adore this analogy because these are the exact words I needed to find to describe this movie to my mages

[@jjju3]

"what if we're wrong? what if we were always wrong?" still genuinely almost makes me tear up everytime i hear it, knowing this movie was in part written by another trans person makes the line hit so much harder. nimona isn't as complicated and nuanced as the comic, but i don't necessarily think it needs to be. as you said its revamping a very old idea for a generation that desperately needs to hear it again.

[@MinecraftWorld1954]

I watched this movie thrice on day one and several more times afterwards, and the more I watch it, the more I adore it. Definitely planning to check out the graphic novel it's based off of

[@alka_3.4]

me too!

[@demghosty9216]

Nimona immediately hit me as trans coded, so many of the heavy hitting things Nimona said made my heart ache, having been a trans kid and having thought a lot of a lot of those things myself. “I don’t know what’s scarier, that this whole kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes- I just want to let them”

[@Fayanora]

I love that detail, that the way it's lit and stuff makes you not only question the "good guys" in this movie but in a lot of other movies and shows. It's basically a galaxy brain idea.

[@fallabeaufaebelle]

I love this analysis :)) it encourages people to challenge conventional coding in films and critically think about what's really going on and why they feel the way they do when watching something. Wonderful video, as always!

[@ParMountain]

I feel like this movie also has themes of history that has been warped and changed. In the prologue, the backstory that we got was that Gloreth bravely stood up and slayed the monster. In the prologue she was an adult. In actuality Gloreth is a child, no more than probably 10-12 years old, who was made to betray her friend because she wasn't "acceptable". It is about how people misconstrue things that happened in the past in order to fit their own narrative.

[@ParMountain]

To the people of the kingdom, Gloreth feels like more of a god figure than a real person. At this point her story is more of a myth or a fairytale, people forget it actually happened but still cling to their judgements that are based entirely on it. On a story that is barely true in the first place.

[@thefattestdragon8451]

Although I didn't look through the movie shot by shot, I noticed a nice little detail: If you look at the eyes, there is a little specifically shaped reflection. Now for most of the characters that have a significant amount of screen time, the reflection changes either depending on what they're thinking or who they're talking to (again I haven't really looked too deep into this) all except one, that, of course, being Nimona. Take this as you will, I personally am a little stumped on this clearly intentional aspect.

[@JessieIsRawr]

i think its a shorthand way of giving character via shape language! Bal regularly has more square shapes when talking to Nimona, specifically in situations where he's either guarded or when she opens up to him. Squares are usually associated with sturdy, protector characters. Ambro is seen with triangle which is associated with sharpness, both in wit and in directness. He's usually seen antagonizing, but not necessarily evil. Nimona's perfectly round eyes are bubbly and soft, which shows off her true nature even without the usual reflections

[@FattyMcFox]

So, here is the thing. This movie didn't make me uncomfortable. It is not because you are wrong about anything in your analysis though, it is because i went through this discomfort trying to be elicited long before this movie was a glimmer in a writer's eye. The reason i resonated with this movie, was because it tried to tell me something i experienced so deeply, harshly and repeatedly in life, and in doing so it made me feel understood. This movie seems like one big "I get you, i understand your pain" and it is not just for the things it is most publicly and famously known for. It is well everything. This movie takes the messages we are sent through cinema and the techniques used to send them and intentionally shows you the dissonance between the message sent and what you know to be true, while then letting you form a new read of the message. Some of the things i thought during this film where: The "Cowboy in the white hat" represented in Goldenloin, doesn't become the bad guy, nothing so simple as a flip of the script, the "cowboy in the white hat" becomes a good guy manipulated into serving a sinister system. He was an antagonist, not a villain.

[@sylviaisafoot6570]

While I know Nimona was likely LGBTQ+ related, I was really thinking about about how much it perfectly falls in line with the stigma around personality disorders. Disordered people are often called monsters, and aren’t accepted because of how they act, even when it’s just coming out of a place of hurt. Then, when the bottled up anger bursts, they seem to prove to everyone that they are a monster, hide who they really are, until someone sees them for who they really are.

[@cupio-stardust]

I’m autistic, and I honestly felt like Nimona was a lot like my experiences having autism. The idea of, “everyone wanting to put a sword through your heart, and wanting to let them” reminds me of the constant demand for a cure for autism, and wishing that it could be possible despite knowing it’s not.

[@sylviaisafoot6570]

@@cupio-stardust absolutely! I see where you’re coming from

[@c.s2193]

Everyone sees themselves in it

[@keep_it_in_a_hidden_place]

It can be both, a lot of queer people go through a lot of trauma and then get pathologised and called evil when they break from the pressure pain, exactly like you said regarding personality disorders. A huge number of trans people especially break under it and then the system hates us the moment we show grief and anger instead of getting access to the necessary care

[@TheAngryLibrarian]

Okay, I adored your use of they/them for Nimona, and also the Game Grumps clip to add to your point cause just, both of those things are dear to me.

[@ericepperson8409]

Nimona professing that sometimes she wants to let someone run a sword through her heart broke me. Straight up old school Pixar's Nemo or Up opening, broke me. On the subject of openings- the one part the felt clunky was the full on newscast expository dump following the story book expository dump. But the movie definitely hit it's stride once the titular character is introduced.

[@gearandalthefirst7027]

I don't understand why half the comments seem to be intentionally misreading how the title relates to the text but oh well, that particular bit of dissonance didn't occur to me as well but that's because I've specifically been using the same inversion in my own work for awhile now. But I'm glad you pointed it out because I never would've noticed otherwise and my appreciation of the movie is better for it. Also thank you for not ignoring the extremely blatant allegory like most reviewers.

[@crazydragy4233]

I think it comes from what media people consume. As someone who consumes a lot more niche and queer content than conventional one these subversions are so dime a dozen that I only know of their supposed impact through history of film, not experience. When the media you consume isn't dominated by what informs these trends the way you see the obvious and subversions changes

[@letranger4461]

The theme of light representing forced conformity and prejudice shows up in ND Stevenson’s She Ra reboot as well, so I thought it was neat when it showed up here too. I think it’s notable that in both works, the primary antagonist is light but also specifically a cold, blinding, white light. The antagonists’ settings in both are sterile and uniform. Idk about Nimona, but ND has said that televangelist mega churches were a big influence in designing Horde Prime. The protagonists are in the shadows yes, but they’re environments are very colorful and varied.

[@Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice]

It really works. I'm sad that people got so entrenched in the lazy "dark = bad, light = good" shorthand when there's infinite ways to use visuals to signify attitude and allegiance. You gotta trust your audience.

[@JessieIsRawr]

I dont think it's coincidence. Queerness in media has ALWAYS been associated with darkness, because of darkness's relationship to evil. Queercoded villains existing to show that queer + bad has led a lot of queer folk to find comfort in the darkness

[@drana150]

As a trans person, this was a really powerful story about queer grief. you can feel it in those moments. I think I won't forget soon the scream Nimona makes when they're going to hurt themself. Because that is just a perfect distillation of the pain we go through every day (they also happened to look a lot like our persecutor in that form, which cut really deep in a way that's hard to describe).

[@241Cookies__]

I’m so glad you talked about the lighting! Something I noticed is how absolutely overwhelming and overbearing the light is in this movie whenever the institute has a main focus. It’s so genuinely hard to look at sometimes, but that just makes the scenes in the dark hit so much harder

[@Fionalah]

I loved it because it's done subtly and isn't trying to get over a message with a sledgehammer. You can see the allegories, but its also *universal*, a call to see others as individuals, not as embodiments of a particular type, whether that's race, gender, sexuality or anything else. It also shows how judgmental people often get that way not through malice or cruelty, but through ignorance and fear. The villain isn't just motivated by 'evil'. And I loved how Bal's sexuality isn't even an issue - he's mistrusted due to his social class, not that he's gay (which seems to be normalised in this world). The *relationship* is what is important to the plot, not that it's involving two guys. We need more progressive stories that inform rather than lecture or scold. .

[@frankbauernstein7234]

Disagree. It wasn't as blatant as most "progressive" movies these days, but the whole "society bad, big corporation evil, different people misunderstood" part was quite on the nose and repeated so often it almost felt comical at times. The part where Nimona goes from dragon to a girl for example feels so forced... No kid would stand there and pick up a wooden sword, they would either literally shit their pants screaming or make a run for it if they're smart. It felt so disruptive too... The plot never slowed down to wait for the tone to catch up.

[@JessieIsRawr]

@@frankbauernstein7234 in a society that literally tells children to pick up a sword to kill monsters...when faced with the chance to pick up a sword, and kill a monster, especially one that just showed its vulnerability to you, you take it. Its just as real as someone who seems safe to come out to assaulting you for being queer, despite the 'normal' urge to ignore it and get away.

[@frankbauernstein7234]

@@JessieIsRawr Nimona didn't seem vulnerable though, she was literally a giant dragon 10 seconds prior to that moment. That emotional beat came out of nowhere, in the middle of a hyperactive action scene, and it was a prime example of Hollywood not knowing how children work. It doesn't matter what "society taught you", a literal kid would have its fight or flight instinct kick in, not gather its 6 years old courage and cite a religious figure while openly challenging a dragon...

[@maxinea.sakaki4151]

​@@frankbauernstein7234 I was one of those Catholic Christian religious fanatic kid when i was 4-15, and i did kinda did some stuff similar to picking up a sword eveytime i saw someone queer coded cuz i was afraid of being ostracized by other ppl ( friends classmates, professor)or even my parents... So yeah is really posible for a 6-9 yo to pick up a "sword" and try to fight " the dragon" cuz is different and anything different gets pusshed back as anormal or mentally ill... I come from Dominican Republic and here we have catholic Christianity as the official religion of the country and is kinda scary how ppl even close to you do the most weird lgbtq phobic or hayeful comment to ppl with mental illnesses too (me being called a crazy person cuz i can't do eue contact with ppl i dont trust or how i get paralyzed when ppl look directly at me for acting weird and the employees just followsxme arround the store trying to check if im gonna steal something, between more social anxiety, autism snd other bullshit i couldn't even open my mouth , i ended up buying a notebook and s pencil and writing im sorry for being weird and left the store, didn't bought what I nedded) Also having your own family saying wgat you are, what part of you is faked, they questioning ur sanity, saying u are gonna end up bad, really bad for being trans or like the gays, telling you you made tgem sound like the badguys and tgat they just worry sbout you but they are just have been guiltripping u and controlling all your life to be this idea of "son" they think you are. I used to say the most insane shit for real when i was 9 cuz i didn't want to been seen weird or as likr the gays or something, never could said what i really thought... And still cant even if now i don't say that stuff i just keep watching as other ppl close to me do bigotry cuz i know even if i confront them nothing is gonna change and their biases are gonna stay the same... Is really fucking sad yeah, is kinda weird how something like that can actually happen outside of movies and fantasy Aveces odio este mundo y da un poco de miedi todo, da miedo que tan cerca de casa y mis experiencias en mi vida de 22 años nimona es...

[@maxinea.sakaki4151]

@@JessieIsRawr also outside of my experience I have seen 6-13 year old trying to be edgy saying the most insane bigoted shit and using slurs left and right do yeah, not that far of reality Or actual kid and teenagers harassing queer ppl in the cinema, street or online...

[@emmajohnson2498]

I love nimona with all my heart. As someone who identify as a queer person who may be trans in some way, and not feeling or really having any support from family or community, and really only have a therapist who can’t really do anything.Being able to see myself in a movie is one of the great things about movies. Nimona was the movie I needed. The seance when nimona says that they sometimes wants someone to drive a sword in there heart made me tear up. Always love seeing your videos. I hope all of you have a good day. Don’t forget to drink water and eat food.

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Drink your water all of you nerospicies

[@MrMLaidlaw]

I don't know why this is the main thing I see when as a straight person I barely noticed the queer stuff until everyone started pushing it our faces. It was a good movie

[@sorentothesky]

​@@MrMLaidlaw idk how queer people relating to the BLATANT themes of oppression and hiding who you are is pushing something onto people but you do you ig

[@macro3751]

@@MrMLaidlaw like i said to you on another comment. simply talking about something or expressing how you felt a connection to the story is not "pushing" anything on anyone's faces.

[@MrMLaidlaw]

@@macro3751 No you do not understand. Its not about queerness. And that is what people here are trying to say that it is. Why can't you just like the movie and not turn everything into only about queerness where is so much going on than a couple scenes.

[@R4TCH3TRAVITY]

“ I don’t know what’s scarier… The fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart… or that sometimes I just wanna let ‘em. “ - Nimona, 2023 The way Nimona said this hit too close to home. As someone who’s part of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s gotten scarier every day to just try to be myself. Everywhere I turn, I find a new person who would rather I, and people like me, didn’t exist. It’s funny, actually. How this country, the United States, have stood for “freedom” and “equality” when all they’ve ever done is ridicule every being that is different. Despite this sounding really dramatic- let me compliment you. Thanks for making this video. I appreciated the fact you also used They/Them pronouns for Nimona. It was very considerate if you take their shapeshifting into account. The points you made were really interesting to hear from another person and the analysis was very well done. Keep up the great work!

[@ishathakor]

this is a fun video to watch because nimona didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. and tbh as a queer poc i think the light = not good shadow = not evil thing is something that resonates with a lot of queer people because we've been told our whole lives that we're bad and wrong for being the way we are. it's really nice to see the visual storytelling support the characters bathed in light = not bad people thing because that's kind of how i've felt my whole life for a number of reasons but i don't see it represented that way in media

[@MrMLaidlaw]

I don't know why this is the main thing I see when as a straight person I barely noticed the queer stuff until everyone started pushing it our faces. It was a good movie

[@manic-mike]

@@MrMLaidlaw maybe because the creator is trans and alot of queer people feel identified, specially with what the current media situation is. it was a good movie tho, I can agree with that

[@abdiasnemo2634]

I was about to comment on the same thing. While watching the movie I didn't felt uncomfortable. I felt at ease, validate, and understood. Then I realized the queer message of the movie. It is fascinating how the movie message can be perceived differently and still hold the message. It shows how well the message was delivered.

[@joyc.e.7511]

Same! As a bisexual poc woman who was raised staunchly catholic, I loved how the lighting and designs were used to convey the messaging. I noticed that kind of subversion in my own writing as well. I've got a lot of feelings surrounding religious institutions that have used their beliefs and power as tools to oppress people they refuse to understand. And Nimona is so freaking good.

[@joyc.e.7511]

@@MrMLaidlaw The thing is, I don't think anyone is pushing it in your face. It's a hella queer movie, though that's not the point of it. I think it's awesome that you loved the movie as is without feeling offended that their were LGBTQ+ elements. So many other people refuse to give it a chance because they can't stand the idea of people different from them, just BEING.

[@ismy3680]

As I was listening to you talk, I finally payed attetion to the scene in the thumbnail, where Nimona has the whole "sometimes I just wanna let them" speech. I would like to point out that in this scene, she's in the light. We usually see Nimona more in the shadows, and the few times we see her covered in light it's that red light that we see a lot, usually when chaos is increasing and of course, Nimona is super into it. Red is often considered to be an "evil" color aswell. But in this scene in specific, for once we see Nimona fully in that bright, white light. I have two thoughts about what it could represent: 1- Nimona is right. As you said, the director and the knights are often put under the light, as if saying that they're the good ones, the heroes, the ones' in the *right*. But when Nimona calls out all the bullcrap on their society ("They're taught that they can be a hero if they run a sword through the heart of anything different, and I'm the monster?") she's the one who's under the light. She's the one who's *right*. Their whole system is flawed, everyone in that kingdom is brainwashed into believing monsters are bad without ever one, that the kinghts are there to protect them without knowing from what, that the wall is there to protect them from a danger they never crossed paths with. And only Nimona sees it, and when she points that out, Ballister starts to see it aswell. 2-Ballister is finally *seeing* Nimona. He also was not so accepting towards them when they first met, and was pretty closed minded. At first he probably thought Nimona was just some random kid that liked to create chaos and decided to tag along with him due to her own misuderstading of his situation. But as he gets closer to her through the movie, he starts to understand her, to *see* her. For once inside their hideout, Nimona isn't in the shadows or under that red light. She's under a bright light, as Ballister is finally able to fully see her for who she truly is. She's not a monster, they're just a broken kid who was hurt by the world.

[@sweetpotao8666]

the reason *I* felt uncomfy was because I watched it with my not-so-supportive family and I did NOT expect the movie to go down on that message so hard. I loved it, but dang was I scared my mom was gonna say something lol. Anyhow, This was a really interesting video! I love Nimona sm, it really shows how animation can be a work of art, and the message was beautiful and strong, and I love how it's narrative wasn't scared of its queer narrative.

[@jeremy1860]

If this movie isn't the best thing ever put on Netflix, it's definitely in the top ten 😊

[@macro3751]

top 5 i'd say maybe even top 3

[@necromonster4260]

i wouldnt say the plot is just about solving discrimination against people who are perceived differently; that may be what directly shown on the screen, but i think this movie's point is about the system, in this case, the institute and the kingdom as a whole, being built in a way that automatically others people and teaches to discriminate against the othered people. in the same way, i dont think the director was evil. she certainly wasnt on the side of our protagonists, thats for sure, but in her monologues its made clear: she was acting purely out of fear, and was in fact trying to help the kingdom. her actions panned out negatively however, because like the rest of the kingdom, she was conditioned to fear "the others". she was conditioned to fear any way of living different different to the "normal" way of living. ballister wasnt naive either, he was simply conditioned like everyone else to put his trust in the traditional way of living and the existing world order. we can see this point, that society conditions people to live in a certain way, and put their trust not in the people showered in light, but rather the walls and hallways showered in light, best in the scene where nimona turns into a dragon and saves a little girl, but when they become a little girl themselves, inviting the girl they saved, the girl they saved picks up a wooden sword and says "go back to the shadows from whence you came" - highlighting the fact that we are groomed to hate and fear all that is seemingly different and love and trust all of the "enlightened" rigid frameworks that we know, from the day we are born to the day we die. in this way the corrupt society- i mean, the institute, can perpetuate itself - by convincing each generation that anything outside the walls is dangerous, and that this world order must be kept at all costs by the heroes, heroes that the institute trains and designates. they tell the children "you can be a hero too! you can slay (💅) the monsters too!" and by doing so, they create a generation that supports the institute, ready to do the same for the next generation to come. this way, the institute can convince people its actually needed in any kind of way. driving this point even further, every time we see progress made (besides the very end of the movie), its either progress in the price of further upholding the system, or that progress is immediately undermined by the system. when the queen supports ballister joining the ranks of the knights, she supports the joining of "commoners" to the ranks of the knights to KILL THE MONSTERS. even then, the progress is undermined by the director. when ballister tries to prove his innocence, believing AS HE WAS CONDITIONED TO that he can redeem himself in the corrupt system and fix it from within, he is immediately stopped by the institute following the orders of the director designating the proof "a weapon". in a sense, she wasnt lying; the proof was a weapon - a weapon against the institute, a weapon that challenged the blind trust people put in the director, and in the institute in general. additionally, in the final scenes of the movie, we can see nimona take their "big black monster form". the movie takes a direct stance here by putting the attention on the "big black monster"s heart, signaling that even the "big black monster" has a heart, i.e. they are a person too, with feelings and consciousness, and that the system has been hiding away the reality of it harming *people*. not monsters. not traitors. not villains and not peasants. people. im sure my inner anarchist is showing, but i hope i made my point clear - that there are no good guys and bad guys in this movie. only mistreated people trying to fight for good in a rotten system that perpetuates itself by creating fake threats that must be defended against.

[@AegixDrakan]

Incredibly nuanced take, leaving my appreciation!

[@thesquishedelf1301]

I will say that the Director turns into a _full_ villain when the truth is unavoidable, and she chooses to kill anyway, regardless of any collateral damage. She actively chooses to let the fear win even when presented with an opportunity to back down with some semblance of grace. The film has a relatively simple premise that fear cannot be an excuse for bad actions.

[@breadstickconnoisseur368]

i personally didnt feel uncomfortable while watching nimona, so seeing how other people viewed it is interesting.

[@looseleaflyra]

honestly no clue how you came to the conclusion that nimona was uncomfortable to watch. for me it was quite literally the opposite. it has become my new favorite comfort movie

[@og_dumpster_fire4482]

I love the fact that you used a Game Grumps quote. They are also unapologetically themselves online, compared to cookie-cutter content creators that are streamlined to perfection. They say gross things and are comfortable with themselves (probably because they have been on KZbin since basically the beginning). It fits your narrative, but also, I just love the Game Grumps and seeing them get more love always makes me happy.

[@TheOkamiDemon13]

''What if we are wrong?'' I think thats the most profound question one can do when it comes to the act of rebelling at times or when it comes to following rules. Asking yourself this question can open many can of worms, but maybe that's a good thing because it also brings change. If one isn't comfortable with the change, if one fears the change, it will just bring doom to their own system because change doesn't wait for now one, and will obviouly get people involve into that change. You can't control the change, what you can control is your reaction and your actions towards that change, whether you Embrace it or go against it.

[@AegixDrakan]

One of the best ways to make sure you're on the right path is to ask that question of yourself every once in a while. "What if I'm wrong/the jerkass here?" is a powerful tool for self-reflection if you're willing to use it honestly. But that's not easy, as it can often cut right into your own ego, which the ego does not like one bit. :P

[@jdprettynails]

I love Danny’s laugh at Arin’s “You’re not me?!!” It has two layers to it. First the initial “Ha! That’s funny” laugh. Then the “Oh shit… that’s really what all prejudice comes down to, that’s so stupid!” laugh.

[@corpsenymph4644]

I think one of the most uncomfortable things in this movie is the parallels to reality, and how those in power are portrayed. The Director killed her own mother, framed Ballister and Nimona all because she was _afraid._ I like to think that people in power don’t do things for no reason, don’t make hasty decisions and assumptions, and I’m still coming to terms with the fact that’s simply not true all the time…

[@crazydragy4233]

I don't think the movie implied the director was related to the Queen? Where'd you get that from?

[@chloesibilla8199]

Very well said. Love this. Dark can be claustrophobic or it can be cozy Light can be ... exposing, that's not always a good thing.

[@flooferderp2918]

I genuinely, genuinely think this movie is important. That it is a kids movie. And I am glad that it exists.

[@Flooffy_number1]

I love nimona because it also takes typical stories where the hero slays the monster and everything is good in the world and bla bla bla, and it throws that out the window. It’s not the story of the brave hero killing a monster, but a free spirited little girl, who has been called a monster all her life, being prosecuted. We can also clearly see her pain within the whole of her backstory and the “monster” scenes. Where we’re shown that all Nimona has ever wanted was a friend to talk to, someone to laugh with, a being to be with. And then she thinks she’s found that, but then she is turned on. We can see how clearly this has impacted her, and how, through the sadness and depression that has been forced on her, she becomes what everyone else sees. A monster. A creature that doesn’t care about how many people it hurts. A thing that just destroys. But we still see that all Nimona wants is to end her pain and suffering, and it feels that the only way to do that is to commit suicide, which she almost does. We see that this hate she feels has impacted her so much because of some parts of the “monster” scenes. The add for the “monster slaying board game”, when she finally falls and people are throwing rocks at her face, and when we hear her voice saying one of my favorite lines ever (because it felt like a callout to everyone who feels hated by society), “I don’t know what is worse, that everyone wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes, I just want to let them” Even the fact that we can hear Nimona’s scream intermixed with the roaring of the “monster” show her pain.

[@rebelrider3361]

What bothered me about the film was that it never really seemed to address Nimona's blood lust. Yes, she was bullied, but that doesn't mean wanting to kill people is okay. (The comic did a much better job showing that the Institute had experimented on her, and also showed that the Institute was doing a lot of bad things, while in the film, they didn't do anything other than the leader framing someone and then going after Nimona who was helping the person everyone thought murdered the queen.) In the film, she's having way to much fun hurting people who are just trying to protect their country.

[@qwertydavid8070]

Wow, if we had that context during the movie it would definetely help a lot lol. Ballister felt uncomfortable around Nimona not necesarily because of her shapeshifting, but because she's honestly just a brat. Shapeshifter or not, I would NOT enjoy hanging around Nimona. She's not even a lovable asshole like deadpool, she's just an asshole...

[@zacharybosley1935]

"Just trying to protect their country" is wild in the context of an entire culture trained from the mythological era to mcfuckin hate and kill them. Nimona hasn't hesitated to unload a lot of violence, true enough, but she's also made a pretty decent effort not to kill anyone, which is impressive when you consider how much power they command.

[@geeker6350]

As a wise person once said: 'Art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.'

[@_kalahari]

It's not a new thing to switch this color association. It is a classic theme to connect good with white and evil with black but it has been turned around often enough so i honestly wonder why anybody would feel uncomfortable with that? Recognizing that it is unusal, yes, but uncomfortable? No. Why? It is just a color after all. What color you choose shouldn't matter, what should have meaning is what you associate with it.

[@crazydragy4233]

I think it might really depend on what media you consumed and why. I didn't really notice or was affected by it because I haven't passively watched a thousand movies with that symbolism. It is a common subversion in many less mainstream media, so it becomes less notable when you consume more of it compared to blockbuster

[@GAMEBEATER6000]

I didn't feel uncomfortable watching it. I was very glued to it's art style and I was obsessed how it looked at 21 years old lmao

[@nikomarek951]

So much of N.D. Stevenson's core writing devices are present in this movie - it presents a lot of the same themes and symbols they put into She-Ra, too. I could go for hours connecting those dots if I had an ounce of video editing skill lmao, but it's clear these topics and types of relationships are deeply personal, integral concepts to them

[@vinkei4521]

The reason why Nimona made me uncomfortable was because it hit too close to home so I had to stop watching it and give myself a break halfway through it because I was panicking through the whole movie every time something bad or unfair happened to the characters. It gives me flashbacks

[@Non-vegen]

Tbh Ballister is (imo atleast) what masculinity should be. It's not something external like the things you do or how you dress but it's rather how you treat others around you, throughout most of the movie he treats (almost) everyone with kindness and consideration. If you haven't heard of it yakuza has a main character who is the epitome of this view of masculinity, his name is Kazuma Kiryu and throughout the series he is depicted as Iron-willed, strong and stoic but under that is a person who values those around him more than himself. In every yakuza game it's not a question of "will he keep fighting" it's instead "will he have anything to fight for". To a certain extent balister embodies this, and the way he treats Nimona speak volumes of who he is as a person. As an asexual person I admire people who lend a helping hand to those who are rejected and dehumanized, (I think you know what aphobia is) bc they didn't have and they weren't obligated to do anything and yet they did it bc it was the right thing to do. As a whole we don't have good role-models to look up to (especially for young men) which just sucks, and also why there is a lot more defender/parent figure type characters in recent media hell ballister can be considered as a defender archhetype. And I think I've made my point so thanks for reading friend :).

[@AegixDrakan]

Heyyyy Fellow Ace in the wild! :D And yeah, Bal's masculinity is a good one. Considerate, protective, supportive, and when things need doing, he's willing to get 'em done. :P

[@Non-vegen]

@@AegixDrakan Yo!

[@akeelahwyse8810]

Yo, this video was really well made! I re-read the book before watching the movie, and I was too focused on what it didn't include to see what the lighting symbolized. Thanks for a great video!

[@somenerdyblonde]

The key thing that made me uncomfortable (and a section that would probable cause demonetization if discussed in this video) is near explicit self-destruction of Nimona. I felt it almost deserved a resource screen at the end of the movie, similar to other shows on tv and streaming services with that content. I get that she didn't do it because she had someone that made her feel seen, but what about all the people who watch it at home because they read the movie is a representation of their identity, and then they realize that they have no one who makes them feel seen.

[@ghostinggray7070]

YES OMG I WANTED SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT THE LIGHTING SO BAD IM SO HAPPY THIS VIDEO EXISTS

[@Yourlocaltrashgoblin]

Nimona didn’t make me uncomfy till the Trans allegory was pushed to the forefront and as a trans (especially non-binary) person, it was uncomfortable to see my own pain and experience so closely shown, I had to face it head on and fuck. That hurts

[@towzone]

“Kids. Little kids. They grow up believing that they can be a hero if they drive a sword into the heart of anything different. And I'm the monster?” Your opinions are noted. Autism acceptance.

[@gongoozle7007]

I'm not a fan of gay stuff being in movies not because I'm homophobic but because whenever there is gay stuff it typically means that those characters personalities are entirely based on that. But this film goes against that and actually makes it a good part of the story.

[@Naknave]

Yeah that's always my first concern when media gets ahold of a character like nimona, but I'm surprised, they kept them true to their own character and didn't let their identity smother their personality

[@jackalreeves4161]

I'm glad I remembered you in my "to watch" list. This is just top shelf content

[@bellabooo9774]

I actually wasn't uncomfortable while watching Nimona, I came to the movie after watching the new Puss and Boots, and just wanted to look at art similar to Arcane. and in the mindset of reminiscing about arcane I never had the uneasiness you talk about, I was just completely taken aback by how well they portrayed all of the messages presented.

[@JupiMeow]

"easy to predict the outcome"? I beg to differ. It has hella plot twists

[@Kusanagikaiser999]

Uncomfortable?.....Nimona?......the only thing this movie made me do is watch it on REPEAT over and over.

[@LeetMath]

i feel like they don’t address the whole ‘if you don’t want people to hate you maybe destroying everything you can for fun isn’t the best way to go about doing things and maybe you should like, consult a PR professional’ thing

[@LeetMath]

the way the populace behaved was kind of… completely reasonable? there was no attempt to explain their intentions in a way that would make people trust them, especially given their past behavior

[@E3AloeLi]

Always makes me feel either happier want to cry, because I feel my feelings are validated to the story of the main characters. Especially because of where I live, I can’t be myself and there are people that will try to kill me because of what I am.

[@drkreuzer670]

This movie does make me feel Uncomfortable, not because the the phobics ist isms, but because of the messages, being.. to real.. it hits close to home. I cannot imagine what i'd be if it weren't for my friends, who i can be open up to and be my true self with q.q

[@engineerenginering8633]

Answer: it didn't

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Valid

[@KakoThePoet]

i’m late as hell but i’ll share my take: i’m both lgbtq+ and a mexican immigrant, in high school. I know what it’s like to be called a monster, to be vilified. I know what it’s like to truly believe the only way out is to die. So Nimona resonated with me, terribly. And Nimona didn’t get to be saved. The story was lovely. It’s the first movie to make me cry, to make me sob. Sure my eyes have gotten watery, but only Nimona had me bringing out the tissues, sobbing uncontrollably.

[@JonathanMandrake]

The only negative emotion I felt towards Nimona is a bit of jealousy that she can just magically transition whenever in a heartbeat, while normal trans people like me have to take months and years and even then there are differences, but that was really only the smallest part of what I felt

[@PsychologicallyDamagedGremlin]

Honestly I love Nimona so much it’s such a heart warming and breaking film, that makes me emotional every time I watch it. And I have watched it like 5 times now. It’s one of my favourite comfort films that doesn’t make me feel gay and alone

[@thespadeexperience]

I’m pretty sensitive to other people’s emotions and the way they act. The movie itself didn’t make me uncomfortable… Nimona herself did. Not because she’s some shifter, but just her personality in general. People with a hyper, impulsive type of personality tend to make my skin crawl, and make me feel as though I need to flee whatever situation I’m in.

[@pen3169]

i'm in the same spot with you. it's just nimona's antics that does put me off a little bit. i like the movie for it's art, it's storytelling, for the queerness, but argh i can't help but feel a little uncomfy at times. but this feeling does make me wanna talk about the movie more than a movie that makes me comfortable.

[@pleasegoawaydude]

People who are cold and calculating tend to make my skin crawl.

[@allen6187]

Maybe it’s because she reminds me a little of a close friend of mine, but I loved Nimona’s personality. Sometimes, her choices made me nervous because I didn’t want her to get hurt, but I adored getting swept up in her excitement, passion, and antics. She was exactly what Bal needed in the same way that she needed him, and maybe it’s because the movie is mostly from his point of view, but it felt like she forced him to truly live for the first time, even while in exile. She was just such a creative and fun person, and while I get that high energy people can feel overwhelming, there’s just something about her that makes me want to join in the fun.

[@qwertydavid8070]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one! Nimona is just too much. She's not even a lovable troublemaker, she's just a troublemaker. Her personality is not really endearing. Characters don't necesarily have to be goody-two-shoes to be likable. But they really didn't gave Nimona any redeeming qualities until the end of the movie. She's destructive, loud, overbearing, ironically intolerant, a bit of an asshole, close-minded, etc. Again, bad people don't necessarily make bad characters. Neon Genesis Evangelion is my favourite show of all time, and pretty much all the characters in that series are bad people lol. But they still have reedeming qualities that make them interesting and engaging. Nimona is literally supposed to be the hero of the story, it's baffling that you wouldn't make your hero at least somewhat likable. They can still be flawed, but at least make an effort so that the audience relates to them. Maybe it's a me issue. I'm not really a hyper person, so Nimona just felt off. But perhaps fellow hyper-active people found her endearing, so idk.

[@thespadeexperience]

@@qwertydavid8070 I’m glad someone else shares my opinion. It seems as though other people with a similar personality absolutely love Nimona. I tend to call the personality the “Gen-Z chaotic dont give a fuck attitude,” which I’ve noticed a large portion of my generation has.

[@eitakou]

The way many see themselves in the movie especially Nimona's internal struggle and external factors questioning Nimona's existence made me think how lacking I feel to not have felt those when I watched the movie since I myself am confused but I dont think I am questioning in a deeper level of self when it comes to lgbt stuff (particularly the trans topic) Feeling inadequate and mild with how I view myself to be comfortable with what I've been born as..

[@hamask2523]

I loved the film, I never once felt uncomfortable

[@AFlyingWalrus]

It's very subtle and I can't wait for the video to release to explain it

[@GLlama303]

then why do i

[@macro3751]

@@GLlama303 depends, either the movie succeeded in evoking those feelings due to it's purposeful use of imagery and symbolism or you might just be homophobic/transphobic. either way though, the movie kinda did it's job, though i do wish the reasons for your disconfort are the former rather than the latter.

[@qwertydavid8070]

I would like to explain, if I can, why Nimona makes me uncomfortable: it's her personality... I didn't really like her for most of the movie. She just seemed really loud and annoying for me personally, it was very difficult for me to connect with her. The problem with using Nimona as an analogy for queerness is that in this scenario, it DOES actually make sense for people to be a bit weirded out by her. Obviously this doesn't excuse their blatant hate towards her, but she's literally unique, there's no one out there like her. It makes sense for people to ask questions and try to understand what she is. So it becomes a bit annoying when she refuses to answer or acts like a troublemaker for no reason. I only started to sympathize with her until her backstory was revealed, and it turns out that she's like a thousand years old. Yeah, if you were a thousand years old you probably would stop caring about anything, specially trying to explain yourself to everyone. I just wish that would have been revealed sooner, it would make her character more bearable. I'm not saying characters have to be likable, unlikable characters can be very interesting! But Nimona is literally the hero you're supposed to be rooting for. All characters have flaws, but as I watched the movie I struggled to see any redeeming qualities in Nimona, a part from being kind of funny every now and then. She never listens to anyone, doesn't respect boundaries, and is a bit of a destructive brat. I guess her one redeeming quality would technically be compassion? But she only really shows compassion to that one kid, so yeah. I just found it really hard to relate to Nimona. Again, I don't necessarily need to relate to a character to like them either. I don't relate to any of the characters in the newer God of War games, but those characters are so well written and have such interesting flaws and interactions that I'm still engaged in their stories. But Nimona is just a bit of a meanie with no interesting qualitie, she's just mean and loud and angry and careless and immature. If people hated her just for her shapeshifting it wouldn't be a problem. But honestly, shapeshifter or not, Nimona's just a bit of an asshole. It would be like if someone told me "How dare you not like that person! He's gay! You homophobe!". It has nothing to do with their queerness, if someone's an asshole than I just won't like being around them. Nimona could be anything: it wouldn't matter. Her personality is still unlikable... At the end of the day it's a kids movie and I shouldn't take it too seriously. I shouldn't expect this to be some magnus opus of sublime storytelling, it's a kids movie with a wholesome message and that's nice. So please, take my criticisms with a grain a salt.

[@macro3751]

@@qwertydavid8070 now while you're entitled to your opinion and it's all cool and good if you don't like a character. i must say i disaggree with it, i mean sure it would make sense to be interested in a literal shapeshifting entity. but that's the thing, there's only one person that shows interest in her, as in, just plain curiosity and that's Ballister. overyone else, from the very start of the movie just kinda gives her the side eye, and that's in the very first scene she's in, no one is ever curious. they are at best repelled for her being "weird" and at worst, openly hostile to her. from the start you get the sense she's the kind of character who people don't seem fond of, so her behaviour seems justified. she just immediately gives off the vibe of the "people don't like me because i stand out, so as an act of rebellion i'll just refuse to ever conform" kind of character, and that's all she is, a rebel. or at least, it did to me as well as many others. also she's not really shown to be all that angry, pushy and chaotic maybe, but she's rarely shown to be genuinely angry. i get that this isprobabbly just subjective, but i genuinely feel like there's plenty of hints at the start that show what her character is about and why she is the way she is.

[@Derekthefilmer]

You abolutely said everything perfectly. I watched Nimona earlier last month, just scrolling through Netflix hoping for something new to watch, and, well there it was. Watched the trailer, and I was HOOKED. It looked like a great movie, the art style was nice to look at too, and having the subject actually be talked about, and not just cast aside is huge. Personally, being Gay is a struggle. And yeah people say it all the time like, "Oh it's a huge struggle, blah blah blah." And honestly it's one of those parts of me that is just t h e r e. I don't make a big deal about it, but there are some moments where it can be a little tough. And the visual narrative of this story is just perfectly showing that sometimes you don't really talk about things like that, or you don't shine lights on things that aren't "normal". Great video, hope to see more like this!

[@KHAOS_youtube]

I agree that the story is not some groudbreaking writing but i do think that the movie should be applauded for having that same story but being WAY more unapologetically queer than medias that came before it, while still being marketed as a kids movie. Nimona shows progress forward for more rep in all media for all ages.

[@Naknave]

Not only that but kept the characters true to themselves, instead of making queer their personality traits like other movies and shows do

[@DragonLovingGirl6]

People often talk about how the dark conceils the truth, makes you unable to see. But often they don't realize the light can be just as blinding. How trying to add even more, brighter and uncompromising light can make things colder and harder to see, the shadows harsher. But add just a little bit of shade, and those lines that were blured by the glare will become clearer, the shadows less intimidating, and you'll see things as they are. Nimona has a lot of darkly lit scenes, but it is never dreary or dull. The darkness is colorful, energetic, cozy even. The bad guys are dressed in 'good' colors, while our heroes are cloaked in the ones that have been associated with evil since color graced moving pictures. And I friggin' love it!

[@AegixDrakan]

This movie really ought to get more buzz. It was honestly pretty phenomenal.

[@Stolasupremecy]

*reads the title*: It did?!?!?!

[@lmaojustchangedmyname4565]

As a autistic teen, yeah I felt this movie

[@dairyblitz]

Nimona is a story that only the the disturbed will understand. Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable -Cesar A. Cruz.

[@WisperArt]

It didn't make me uncomfortable at all. I actually thought that the smooth animations are a breath of fresh air. Lately there are only low fps animations coming out because of the Spiderverse movie

[@AFlyingWalrus]

It's a visual writing trick they used that I picked up on. The video will explain more

[@WisperArt]

The comment I wrote was there before the video was published. I thought it's going to be a baseless critique of the movie that I liked quite a bit. I'm glad I was wrong, and I'm sorry 👍

[@DrachenGothik666]

My room-mates & I watched Nimona together, & while I didn't consciously pick up on the lighting choices right away, nothing in the film actually made me uncomfortable. Maybe it's 'cuz I prefer darker environments & find bright light physically painful. In the case of the film, to me, the dark was comforting & "safe" & the light only emphasised how artificial & phony the Director's world was. It made me realize almost from the start that _they_ were the villains, with their need for everything to remain status quo & "perfect". One thing that was amusing: both roomies not only identified well with Nimona in that they found her familiar (we all did: all three of us are trans & queer), they also kept joking that Nimona was _me._ Apparently, I share a lot of personality traits with the character. I know I loved her Punky chaos gremlin attitude.

[@peteryang5056]

The interesting thing is that this isn't the first time ND Stevenson has played with the light/dark dichotomy in this way. The final season of Stevenson's previous show, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, inverts the light versus dark color scheme in similar fashion. *SPOILERS FOR SHE-RA BELOW* Horde Prime, the big bad of the series, is a quasi-religious figure constantly bathed in white light and lives in a massive ship designed to resemble a cathedral. And his conflicted captive/ underling, Catra, who has spent the entire show as one of its major antagonists but who is also presented from the start as a deuteragonist, has always been someone who finds comfort in darkness. There's a wonderful video by Five by Five Takes that goes into this in detail (look for the video on the episode "Corridors"), but the nutshell version is that these episodes of She-Ra present the light of Horde Prime as a scouring light that reveals everything personal and uses it to shame the individual for their differences, while the darkness and shadows are the safe, quiet spaces where Catra is allowed to be vulnerable without facing judgment or hatred. It's very much thematically of a kind with the way "Nimona" depicts Ballister (and Nimona herself, in the third act of the film) as associated with the dark and the Director with the light. And both stories feature our darkness characters finding resolution when they realize that they have support systems that don't require their subordination into the oppressive system that surrounds them - allowing them to bring the safety and vulnerability they associate with the dark out of the shadows.

[@Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice]

I get this. I have always found the dark very comforting. It doesn't ask anything of me.

[@rubinhardin4183]

This felt like a movie that was both made for queer people who've always seen themselves in queercoded villains and to make people who villanize queer and trans people uncomfortable. And it did both so brilliantly.

[@alka_3.4]

spoilers! Go watch the movie now!!!! It's my favourite movie where the light is cast ONTO the bad characters, like the director and Gloryth (in that one painting), it's Nimona's heart that is the source of light (both when she almost oofs herself and also in that one painting), so the bad guys are literally trying to put out someone's light and happiness while being glorified (haha, glorythfied) and illuminated by the society

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Great catch

[@FallenOne669]

The funny thing is, I never felt uncomfortable with the way the light is used. I've felt, for a long time, that rainy days are more enjoyable than sunny ones. Because I can actually look around without worrying about going blind because the sun is shining in my face. So all 'Nimona' did is make me feel like I was right. Too much light blinds you to what is actually happening.

[@Dark14Fairy]

Did you use the Tarrey Town music from botw in the back ground??? I swear I could keep hearing it

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Good ear

[@bareq99]

Yes they did!

[@SMunro]

Nimona was pretending to be the 'I love Nimona' picture Balister pinned to the Wall at the end.

[@EcnavMC]

Nimona doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable. It makes me feel seen.

[@schtuff.8207]

Its going to be so interesting to see the long-term psychology of children who grew up on these animated movies VS the ones I did in the 90s. Symbolism was used pretty rigidly for decades of kids entertainment, but there's been an increasing ambiguity, which definitely I think better prepares kids for the real world and ingrains a freedom for people to be whatever they want to. Its a stellar kids flick, and definitely one that as a nobinary kid who only admitted it decades later, would have been helpful for me to see back then, given me more permission to be myself.

[@shadowgamer4306]

It did not make me uncomfortable at all.

[@Rainydaz0]

“Someone who is different, is persecuted for being different. but by the end of the story, the “normal people” understand and see the different person, and accept them for who they are.” I was fully expecting him to say “But by then it was already too late” because when I watched the movie that’s exactly how I felt. As a suicidal person, when I first watched him on a the main message I took from it aside from focusing on queer youth, and that different is not a bad thing, was the fact that a lot of the time, people hurt, a lot, and when it’s already too late and they’ve killed themselves or done something drastic, the people who caused it in the first place will only then begin caring. They didn’t when they were alive but they do when they’re gone, when it’s too late, and it was heartbreaking to see in the movie