This film offers a hyper-stylized, emotionally explosive look at a widowed mother, Die, and her ADHD-afflicted, volatile son, Steve. Dolan shoots the film in a restrictive 1:1 aspect ratio, visually trapping the characters in their chaotic domestic life. The love between Die and Steve is fierce and undeniable, yet their personalities are too volatile to coexist peacefully. It is a masterpiece of showing how love alone is sometimes not enough to save a child.
Whether it is Oedipus gouging his eyes out, Norman Bates rocking in a chair, or a young boy in Florida watching his mother being taken away by the police—the camera and the page never blink. They hold the close-up. And in that frame, we see ourselves.
The portrayal of mother-son relationships in cinema and literature also serves as a means of exploring and challenging traditional notions of motherhood and masculinity. By depicting the complexities and nuances of this relationship, creators and audiences can gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural expectations that shape our experiences and interactions.
This film offers a hyper-stylized, emotionally explosive look at a widowed mother, Die, and her ADHD-afflicted, volatile son, Steve. Dolan shoots the film in a restrictive 1:1 aspect ratio, visually trapping the characters in their chaotic domestic life. The love between Die and Steve is fierce and undeniable, yet their personalities are too volatile to coexist peacefully. It is a masterpiece of showing how love alone is sometimes not enough to save a child.
Whether it is Oedipus gouging his eyes out, Norman Bates rocking in a chair, or a young boy in Florida watching his mother being taken away by the police—the camera and the page never blink. They hold the close-up. And in that frame, we see ourselves.
The portrayal of mother-son relationships in cinema and literature also serves as a means of exploring and challenging traditional notions of motherhood and masculinity. By depicting the complexities and nuances of this relationship, creators and audiences can gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural expectations that shape our experiences and interactions.