Page 32 - Metro

WKHUH WR EDE\VLW WZHOYH \HDU ROG /XNH /HYL 0LOOHU
This spread, clockwise from top left: 'ARRETT ,UKE AND under the bed – she eventually realises and is furious, admon
!SHLEY ,UKE WITH HIS MOTHER $EANDRA 6IRGINIA -ADSEN
30 • Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM
WKH RQO\ FKLOG
RI 5REHUW 3DWULFN :DUEXUWRQ DQG 'HDQGUD 9LUJLQLD 0DGVHQ
The latter two are charming stereotypes of suburban parents,
leaving money for pizza and instructions to be in bed by eleven.
:DUEXUWRQ GLVSOD\V KLV VLJQDWXUH GHDGSDQ ZLWK 5REHUW GHSOR\
LQJ VRPH FODVVLF oGDG KXPRXUp t DW 'HDQGUDpV IDX[ H[DVSHUDWLRQ
at his ugly Christmas tie, he teasingly switches it to an equally
NLWVFK RQH KLGGHQ LQVLGH KLV FRDW +LV ZLIH VHHPV VLPLODUO\ JRRG
KXPRXUHG XSRQ RSHQLQJ /XNHpV EHGURRP GRRU DW DQ LQRSSRUWXQH
PRPHQW FDWFKLQJ KLV EHVW IULHQG *DUUHWW (G 2[HQERXOG DJUHH
ing he’d love him to ‘get some ass’, she lets him clumsily try to
UHFRYHU *DUUHWW LV D EDG LQĻXHQFH VKH ZDUQV /XNH SUHVXPDEO\
unaware of the weed the latter has acquired from the former’s
brother. This easy passing of blame – her ‘not my child’ certainty
t LV P\RSLF VKH REYLRXVO\ KDV QR LGHD DERXW /XNHpV LQQHU OLIH
/XNHpV SODQ IRU WKH HYHQLQJ LV XQH[SHFWHGO\ WR KDYH VH[
with Ashley. He has had a crush on her for years and, now that
she is moving, it is his last chance. This is a familiar plotline in
ĺOPV LQYROYLQJ WHHQV H[FHSW XVXDOO\ WKH JRDO LV D NLVV DQG WKH
SURWDJRQLVW LV VLJQLĺFDQWO\ ROGHU ,WpV FOHDU WKDW VHYHQWHHQ \HDU
old Ashley is not going to have extremely inappropriate relations
ZLWK WKH FKLOG VKH LV UHVSRQVLEOH IRU EXW /XNHpV SXSS\ ORYH LV
XQFRPIRUWDEO\ FOXPV\ DQG FRQĺGHQW ZH DUH HQFRXUDJHG WR
laugh at his transparent efforts. He puts on a horror movie – a
signal that he believes he is no longer a kid – yet rests his head
on Ashley’s shoulder as though he is scared, a typical move for
the girl in such a scenario. He also declares his maturity by guz
zling champagne from the bottle, bragging about how well he
FDQ KROG KLV DOFRKRO :KHQ KH LJQRUHV $VKOH\pV ĺUP UHEXIIV DQG
kisses her, she rebukes him in an authoritative tone, desperate
WR UH HVWDEOLVK ERXQGDULHV /XNH LV LQGLJQDQW DW EHLQJ WUHDWHG
like a child. He is almost thirteen, he argues – a particularly
FKLOGLVK UHWRUW t DQG WKHUH LV D ĺYH \HDU DJH JDS EHWZHHQ KLV
parents. Ashley softens, consoling him by saying she would
GDWH KLP LI WKH\ ZHUH WKH VDPH DJH 7KH LPSOLFDWLRQV RI /XNHpV
FUXVK HYROYH LQLWLDOO\ LW VHHPV MXYHQLOH DQG PLVJXLGHG EXW KLV
EOLQNHUHG SHUVLVWHQFH DQG UHMHFWLRQ RI ERXQGDULHV VRRQ EHFRPH
REQR[LRXV WKHQ ZKROO\ WHUULI\LQJ
7KH SUREOHP RI WKLV GLVREHGLHQW VOLJKWO\ LQWR[LFDWHG WZHOYH
\HDU ROG LV RYHUVKDGRZHG E\ WKH KRPH LQYDVLRQ 7KH SDLU
are besieged by classic horror scenarios: prank calls, a brick
WKURXJK WKH ZLQGRZ ZDUQLQJ o8 /($9( 8 ',(p DQG D PDVNHG
ĺJXUH ZLWK D VKRWJXQ SDWUROOLQJ WKH KDOOZD\ $VKOH\pV W\UHV DUH
VODVKHG WKH SKRQH OLQH FXW DQG WKH LQWHUQHW GLVDEOHG ,QGHHG
!DSSDQ 6@SBG .TS is a loving homage to the horror genre, with
a catalogue of aural and visual tropes: eyes peeping through
cracks, a silhouette at the window, a locked door found ajar,
UXVWOLQJ QRLVHV RXWVLGH D MXPS VFDUH EHFDXVH RI D VSLGHU 2QH
shot from behind a faintly moving swing in the backyard looks
towards the open back door, establishing the intruder’s en
trance. In the horror movie they are watching, a scared woman
says, ‘I want to leave’ – dialogue that always precedes a terrible
occurrence – before Ashley is startled by a noise outside. When
she, reasonably, asks, ‘Why would they go into the attic?’ she
SUH HPSWV WKHLU RZQ UHWUHDW WR WKLV VSDFH
7KHVH VHTXHQFHV DUH VR SRLQWHGO\ VHOI DZDUH VR KHDY\
handed with references, that it’s a relief to get to the fairly
REYLRXV UHYHDO WKH LQWUXGHU LV *DUUHWW +LGLQJ LQ WKH ZDUGUREH
t $VKOH\ SHHNLQJ RXW RI WKH VODWV OLNH /DXULH -DPLH /HH &XUWLV
in '@KKNVDDM -RKQ &DUSHQWHU ZDWFKLQJ WKH LQWUXGHU ORRN
LVKLQJ /XNH o<RX QHHG WKHUDS\ t ORWV RI LW p <HW WKLV REYLRXVO\ LOO
fated plan was a ruse, a soft twist distracting the viewer from