local cryptid in formation

Sarah represents the third person's perspective. She cares deeply about Bear, and Nikki's scary behaviour makes Sarah sympathise with Bear and try to help him. But by helping him, she ends up being murdered by Nikki and Nikki immediately tells Bear "it's your fault for this. You wanted this". Nikki's words in that scene sounded almost as if the real Nikki was saying that to Bear because her actions were the result of his wish and she wasn't responsible for them - he was. Usually when a third person tries to help the manipulator and connects with them they soon end up a victim of their manipulative actions because they didn't know what the manipulator was capable of until they got closer to them, just like Sarah suffered the consequences of Bear's wish here even though she was just as innocent as Nikki. And if Bear had a crush on Sarah and not Nikki, he would have done the same thing to Sarah.

i also enjoyed how the film showed what everyday violations of consent can look like…media often shows the most obvious, often-dramatized occurrences of it, but this depicted a more common way of it showing up.

bear did indeed take advantage of nikki while she was in a mentally unstable state. he was well aware her consent was compromised. all the while he is very insecure about it, knows what he is doing, becomes aware even that nikki is aware and it is hurting her, continues doing it. i love that this film names this. it even critiques “not like the other girls” anti-feminism through sarah, who sees it as nikki taking advantage of bear…then she ironically tries to take advantage of bear’s vulnerable state herself by coming onto him.

also on a smaller note nikki’s batshit incestuous gorey hansel and gretel story had great prose i enjoyed it. my partner pointed out that before the wish, nikki saw bear as a little brother figure. meaning the hansel and gretel thing very well could have come from real feelings of disgust, like it nearly feels like an incestuous relationship to her.

and the ENDING. a lesser film would have insisted that, in these circumstances where the wish can only be broken if one of them dies, the male lead must survive between the two. but there was no self sacrifice from nikki out of “love”, there was no moment of lucidity or jealousy or rage where she kills herself, bear is forced by the narrative to take full responsibility for what he has done to nikki. what’s more— he reaches for a gun, almost uses it, ultimately decides on overdosing on pills. my partner and i personally think this was intentional commentary on masculinity, by having bear consider, then reject, the way men typically choose suicide in favor of the way women typically choose it. just a fun detail and maybe we’re both batshit.