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signpost of his budding psychopathy. He is sadistic and exhilarated
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her right, he insists. It is unsurprising that they both underestimate
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the fall, convincing him to write Ashley an apology that serves as
a suicide note, before creatively hanging him from his swing using
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sires. He is the embodiment of solipsism, and is as much a com
ment on male privilege as on fears about spoilt children. When
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me do it?’ He similarly blames Ashley, who, he feels, deserves
punishment for not reciprocating his feelings. He treats her like an
object, metaphorically and then physically – she is a prize that he
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could not possibly know what it’s like to love someone as much as
he loves her.
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This predictable manifestation of the Oedipus complex was implied
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to sleep, his childlike yearning at odds with his violent actions. He
acknowledges Ashley’s role as surrogate mother by performing the
maternal actions he misses as he stabs her, saying ‘goodnight’ and
kissing her on the forehead.
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cleaning up, in a montage recalling both 1HRJX !TRHMDRR 3DXO %ULFNPDQ
DQG "2( that illustrates his deep lack of empathy. Upon dis
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seems he has gained the attention he has so craved. However, there
is a twist: Ashley is found alive. This was tipped off by the earlier
revelation that she is still a virgin – a fact that, according to slasher
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studies from the University of Sydney. She has written for interna- Above, top: ,UKE S FATHER 2OBERT 0ATRICK 7ARBURTON
tional publications including The Atlantic, i-D, Complex, Marie Claire,
RealTime, VICE and Senses of Cinema @MC GDQ kQRS ANNJ Australian
Artists Abroad, 1890–1914 HR CTD NTS VHSGŭ!KNNLRATQX HM m

Endnotes
1 Kaitlyn Tiffany, ‘%HWWHU :DWFK 2XW ,V D 6XUSULVLQJ 6WUDQJH &KULVWPDV
+RUURU FRPHG\ $ERXW ,GLRWLF %R\Vp The Verge 2FWREHU
KWWSV ZZZ WKHYHUJH FRP EHWWHU ZDWFK
RXW KRUURU PRYLH UHYLHZ KDOORZHHQ! DFFHVVHG 2FWREHU
2 'ROI =LOOPDQQ HW DO o(IIHFWV RI DQ 2SSRVLWH JHQGHU &RPSDQLRQpV $IIHFW
WR +RUURU RQ 'LVWUHVV 'HOLJKW DQG $WWUDFWLRQp Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology YRO } QR } SS } t

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