Bottom of the World (2017) Online

Anyway, this film was fairly fun if you like to think, figure things out. Like watching the 'best of' compilation of someone else's fever dreams. Bottom of the World delves under the surface, to the dark foundations that we embrace by night and ignore by day. This conceit is taken to a psychological level and into the disturbing unconscious mind of Scarlett (Jena Malone) and her creation of a new reality. The film leaves us with more questions than answers but hats off to trying to make something different and challenging to the viewer. I don't recall a film that was entirely a creation of the sub-conscious other than - Fight Club?

This film having taking cues from Film makers such as David Lynch, Richard Kelly, and Adrian Lyne, still manages to hold its own unique eeriness and maintain attention from the viewer.

Spoilers:

This movie moves quite a bit, and is very tricky in that the most active character Alex is not even a real entity, but a complex manifestation of Scarlett's last living moments. The movie takes a classic approach to letting the story "unravel" to finally understand what actually is happening as the movie wraps up.

My take:

Scarlett is a young woman who when she was growing up tortured for several years and then eventually murdered her handicapped cousin by burying him alive in a open fire pit. She made up a cover story to family and police that a burglar had broken in, killed her cousin and proceeded to rape her. Her story was believed by all, and even assured her sympathy and support.

The movie we see, is in her subconscious during her suicide by pills and alcohol. Even though she has overdosed, she is not brain dead and therefore piecing through a land of guilt, confusion and retribution.

Alex is only a piece of her mind, and actually a part of Scarlett. Alex represents her confusion, her guilt, her comfort and finally her penance and self realization.

Right at the beginning when they get to the Ranch, you see Scarlett immediately jumps right in to the thick of it by asking Alex what the most horrible thing he has even done. She proceeds to tell the detailed horrific story of her cousin, (leaving out the murder at this time) and then quickly pretend it was just a joke. This being the first moments of her being honest with herself of what happened, and yet not being fully ready to deal with it. Not long after,you see her start to break down with fear and sadness as she is starting to let in the truth of her guilt and horrible actions. With these feelings fear and confusion almost innocent, she finds comfort and is drawn to her father, represented by the Preacher who first appears on their hotel TV.

The entity of Scarlett disappears, and then the part of her that is Alex now has to piece apart the confusion, and along the way is faced with her biggest fears, her fate, her dark side, which is the hooded man that "buries" people alive. (this is no coincidence)

The merging of all the cloudy pieces comes when Alex finally goes to her house to understand more of whats going on. We find that the image of Alex, may have been just a neighbor she saw in her waking life that she had a small attraction or obsessiveness with, but no real relationship. She acknowledges that he is in her closet, and demands for him to just take what he is there for. Hence, rape her. She is expecting to be punished, by having all of her own lies and actions come back and really happen to her, thus her lying about a man murdering the cousin and raping her. He reluctantly denies her, and then accuses him of raping her yet again, when her father enters the room.

Then Alex takes Scarlett to her old house where she had murdered her cousin, and where she had lied to cover it up. All of her guilty truths are told, and Alex punishes her but burying her in the dirt. This is way she felt she deserved to be punished, and therefore can die in peace. They then show her true body in the conscious world die in a bed after the overdose.

A well done film that you may need to watch twice to see all of the hidden potential. Great acting on all parts, and a great story.

Here's what I took: The anecdote of her cousin Wayne that she tells in the beginning is true. At first I wrote the story off as a simple and needless tale based used for shock value (poor writing), but it's so over the top and grotesque that as a viewer, it's so ridiculous that you don't want to believe it, or even regard it as a necessary bit of information because she tells it as a fake story to make Alex squirm. So you forget about it, because at this point, Scarlett is depicted as facetious and maybe a bit unstable. Jumping to the end, you find out that she really committed the heinous acts that she describes in the beginning. Alex is a part of her subconscious, the fact that he has developed sentience within her own delusion is a deeper part of her subconscious that is condemning her as she is unable to process her own guilt (EG her heavy alcoholism). It's a very interesting way to tell a story, as she takes the backseat in the focal point of the story that is 100% in her own head. Now whether she is "delusional", or there are actual spiritual forces at work within the two realms of Alex's initial reality, and the second one where he is her neighbor is sort of up to interpretation. Notice the scene where Paige, (Alex's wife) is counting peas in the kitchen, and it immediately swaps to her holding a glass of milk, as if it's a glitch, this is a tell that he is not in the realm of true reality when they knew each other, or when they're neighbors. Alex is the embodiment of her guilt and shame and also the judgement of maybe a supernatural entity, so he isn't necessarily a person, more of a shifting presence. Alex never existed, she conjured him up.

This movie is artistic, confusing, and trippy. If you like strange/complex it is a most creative film. It might be confusing at some parts but that just made it better. Movies today don't put responsibility on the viewer to figure out what is going on and this film does that. Not only that but the Scarlett character is amazing and devastating all at once. Acting is done very well, Jena Malone was great in her role of Scarlet and Ted Levine did a decent job with his character too. Direction is top notch and I will definitely check other movies done by this director. Overall this movie was a joy ride for me and I give it a well deserved 8 star rating.

I kind of liked 'Bottom of the World'. I make no bones about the fact I'm a fan of the 'mystery' genre, and this film certainly had an element of mystery to it. It's a film where the audience knows as little about what's going on as the characters (if not even less at times), yet there are constant hints as to the direction our thinking should be going in. Then a nice little ending was the icing on the cake.

The whole "nothing makes sense, what is going on?" thing has been done in movies thousands of times over the years, but it always seems to work. I think in a way, much like a magic show, the audience wants to be fooled, or at least in a state of curiosity. It can also be quite easy for film makers to pull off, because the usual linear film making techniques obviously go out the window, and thus it can be harder for an audience to judge what is actually good and what is not.

Some people on the other hand will always hate this type of film and that's fine. I see 'Bottom of the World' being a very polarising film. Some will have a great time with it, while others will utterly despise it. I was in the former camp.

Mystified? Here's my interpretation -- A hypnotic meditation on the mysterious nature of the subconscious and its power. It is abstract and psychological at its core. The logic is skewed to be dreamlike and surreal, making more sense on a second viewing where I picked up on more visual clues and devices. I'd be curious how others interpreted it? Some posts I've seen think Alex exists, some don't. Any psychologists out there? Oh, and Jena Malone is really good as she delivers a sweet and devastating performance all at once. Where has she been?

If you like tidy resolutions and optimistic fade-outs this film is probably not for you!

Bottom of the World is an strange, spellbinding film, because it is one of those rare films that doesn't contain a blatant plot; there's multiple unexpected plot twists and shifts where you are held strictly responsible for paying very close attention and attempt devise an idea of what's actually happening throughout the film. Jena Malone is great at portraying a woman's spiral into mental anguish brought on by guilt from an act of terrible violence. The underlying religious themes run strong. That's just my theory.

Easily one of the strangest and most confusing films I've ever seen, Bottom of the World. is also a captivating and intriguing film. Most people will probably hate it, but for some reason I was fascinated by it...some scenes are very suspenseful and creepy, others are wonderfully strange and surreal. Also seems to be a religious angle to the film as it deals with sin guilt, redemption and purgatory. Far out.

A complex puzzle about karma coming back and striking an individual after committing a sin. Redemption is never easy. My theory is that Scarlet imagines a world in which her victim survived while she's stuck in purgatory. I enjoyed the clues that are given along the way that hint at a non- reality. Watch closely or go back to see. This is ultimately Scarlet's manifestation brought upon by guilt/redemption. A different take on Heaven and Hell. This should be a MUST VIEW for anyone studying theology/religion.

It would be a cop out to call this movie 'Lynchian' even though it does have some similarities to 'Lost Highway'. "Bottom of the World' is a well written and well crafted work of surrealism in the form a mystery. The mood is set early on and maintained throughout and for as 'out there' as it gets it has a ending that makes perfect sense and is satisfying. This movie deserves a much higher score than it's being given. Hollywood has dumbed down audiences so much that they are ill equipped to react with anything but anger to any movie that challenges them to think. If you like movies by David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman and Fellini and Ryan Gosling's directorial debut 'Lost River', I would say you should check this out. I don't think the haters will ever get it so I wish they would just not watch it instead of trashing it with their rating. I give this movie a solid 8 but to up the average I added a point. There needs to be more movies like this.

I was a little bit skeptical going in, but thought it might be worth a watch just to see Jena Malone do her thing here.

More than a bit surprised, this was a clever puzzle wrapped in an enigma that requires more than a bit of attention paid to subtle details sprinkled into what seems to be a jagged form of editing, but is remarkably well resolved in the end. Jena definitely delivers what may be her best character study yet, but that's not to take away from Douglas Smith, who did an equally plausible job portraying a young guy caught up in a seemingly impossible situation.

I simply can't reveal what that "seemingly impossible situation" actually is, in that would be an obvious spoiler, but to discover just how far out that resolution is, you're just going to have to watch for yourself. Trust me on this one, it's worth the wait to find out.

Along the way in this uniquely twisted adventure are all sorts of quirky characters, which at first glance might seem to be absurdly overdone cliché' character concept representations, until the actual context becomes more apparent. Then it all begins to make sense . . . sort of . . . until the very end.

For some, this might take a bit of patience. There are moments which seem bizarrely out of context, or just don't seem to fit into what appears to be the story of the moment. But that's the key here. Time can be a fluid medium, depending on where one might happen to be in a yet to be fully defined version of reality.

Having said that, there were some clumsy moments where the editing definitely could have fit together better, or scenes that appear to be more than a bit rough around the edges, but the given the uniquely original story and how it's told, a certain amount of forgiveness can be granted for such imperfections.

Maybe not the best, but certainly not the worst of such attempts at this sort of genre'.

A solid seven stars for me . . .

Bottom of the World is a wonderful intellectual challenge. I've seen it some four times now, and am only starting to grasp what's actually told in the movie. It is a non-linear movie, so be prepared. The key to it all is the subconscious. Look for the clues and it begins to make sense. Look for my full review on my blog.

I had the pleasure of finding this movie on Netflix and watched it because I was extremely intrigued by the unique title and the interesting poster attached. I loved this film so much I actually made an IMDb account to leave this review. This movie came to me at the right time. It seems to me the producers have been doing the same sort of esoteric research I have been because I could follow the plot with no problems at all from the beginning.

The movie is atmospheric, colorful, creepy and haunting, everything you could want from a visceral indie film. The movie is clearly a mixture between some real life truths mixed in with a plot device first introduced by the Twilight Zone episode "Stopover In A Quiet Town". If you had trouble following the plot of the story, watch "Stopover In A Quiet Town" and you will understand it a lot more. The acting is ,at velour, particularly from the striking male lead who carries the progression of the film largely on his back alone. If this were more popular I would love to see this film nominated for an Oscar, but there's no way this little engine that could would be given a fair shot.

Now for those who watched the movie but were unable to enjoy it because they couldn't understand the plot: Spoiler alert.

Its a simulation matrix. A large part of the first half of the film takes place in a parallel universe, or an offshoot tangent. The original universe was the one where Scarlett messed around with the paraplegic. He eventually died because of her actions, and she feels no remorse. The paraplegic in this original universe is actually Alex. You can think of it as his soul. When he died, that universe ended and their souls were brought into this alternate parallel universe to interact again. This time they are young lovers. But it is Alex's destiny to kill Scarlett in retribution for what she did, and in doing so, free her soul. The masked man Alex sees from the hotel is actually him, again, from a different parallel universe. This version of Alex has managed to somehow cross dimensions to interact with his other selves, whom he reveals the nature of their reality to. Every time Alex dies in a universe, he wakes up in an alternate parallel universe playing different roles, but always destined to interact with Scarlett, until he finally does the deed and kills her, thus freeing them both from the simulation matrix.

The fact that the entire movie takes place in parallel dimensions/a simulation is hinted at all throughout the movie. They can't leave the small town to go to LA, possibly because LA doesn't really exist since they are destined to stay at the small town. That's why Scarlett feels "crushed" whenever they try to leave. The strange motel they check into is actually on the same location as where Scarlett tortured & killed the paraplegic, hence it is where their souls must dwell until they leave the matrix. The house Alex wakes up in after the pastor shoots him is ALSO in the same location as the strange motel, its just in an alternate dimension. The masked man (who is actually Alex from a parallel dimension" mentions "cities of pain buried underneath the ground" aka the different layers of each dimension all built on top of one another on the same place. The pastor tells Alex that it's true he is in a dream, but Scarlett's dream, then shoots him. This is true and proves a point: Alex can die a million times over, and the end result is that he will just keep waking up in a different dimension. He will only be released when he kills Scarlett, thus freeing them both from her sin. Its her loop, not his.

Its truly an incredible film. If you didn't "get it" the first time, watch it again.

This film is a compelling though flawed experiment in utilizing a dreamlike/hallucinatory narrative. An ordinary seeming young couple, Scarlett (Jena Malone) and Alex (Douglas Smith), are driving across the country to LA, but she gets ill while they're in the Southwest, and they check into a shabby chic motel (the sign shifting between reading "motel" and "hotel" is one of the first clues that you're in the realm of the subconscious). Scarlett then tells a horrifying story about her systematic abuse of a helpless, paralyzed cousin in her care (before laughing it off as though it were a joke). This story, which initially seems like a weird detour, is actually the key to the whole movie.

Like An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Jacob's Ladder, or Mulholland Dr., Bottom of the World depicts the hallucinatory final thoughts of a dying person. Scarlett, driven to suicide by guilt over her inexplicably cruel and violent acts, has deliberately overdosed, and the events of the film, until its last few moments, are occurring entirely inside her head. Consequently, Alex isn't a real person, but the kind of strange, fluid composite character you often encounter in dreams. At different times, he is her boyfriend, her ill-fated cousin, a fictitious assailant, an angel of death, and, above all, an emanation of her guilt. Likewise, a strange televangelist preacher (Ted Levine) that Alex encounters along the way is really Scarlett's father, whom her dying mind has transformed into someone giving sermons about guilt and redemption--themes that are particularly relevant to Scarlett at that moment.

Overall, I thought it was a flawed film that is worth watching, but I don't think I'll want to see it a second time. I enjoyed Levine's performance. I liked Malone, too, though I didn't quite get how someone who committed such horrifying crimes would have enough of a conscience to be overwhelmed by guilt, but that was more of a writing problem than an acting problem. I thought Smith seemed a bit too young for his role, though he was effective at times. I also appreciated the attempt to recreate the weird, fluid quality of dream narratives, but, strange as it may seem to say, I don't think the filmmakers went quite far enough in that direction.

This is a really Mindblowing Title, one of the best movies form the past years.

Its just that some People may not Understand it.

The Ending will make you go like 'oooh what!!!' , as you will (hopefully) Understand the beginning and everything. The Plot may seem confusing, but its very well thought through:

The girl may be an annoying Character, but it fits her role and the Male Main actor does a really good job.

If you stop watching it after 30-40 mins, you will not understand anything of this Master piece.

Camera 9/10 Plot 10/10 Acting 8/10

If you like Movies where you stay confused, and the End just right Throws you an oh my god into your face, this is your Movie to watch.

If you struggle to make connections and think films through, maybe you should watch it with more people, or not at all.

I liked this movie, though I am glad I didn't pay money to see it in a theater. Somebody who reviewed the movie alluded to it being like a David Lynch film. I can see the analogy; there is a non-linear, dreamlike plot and some truly odd characters. However unlike many Lynch movies, this one does wrap things up in the end so that the viewer isn't obligated to watch at least two more times before things start to make sense. This isn't for everyone, so if you are somebody who needs to have a linear plot, then it's best to scroll through the offerings at Netflix for something more orderly. However for viewers who are intrigued by mystery and do not need to have the answers fed to them at every scene along the way to an ending that truly does explain everything that has transpired before, then this is for you. The message to take away from "Bottom of the World" is that actions do come with consequences and guilt is a heavy, destructive psychological burden.

By chance, I watched this the same day I saw Jim Jarmusch's Paterson. Both are similar, but both fail for completely different reasons.

Bottom of the World does not know what it wants to be. It tells a non- linear story that gives itself away about 40 minutes into the film. After that, it follows a predictable path of key symbols to clue the viewer in to what is actually happening. It should have gone a completely different route and stuck with the bizarre, weird, sleazy feel it had at the beginning. It turns into a very underwhelming second half as it drifts away and fades into the same trap many other similar movies fall into. It tries too hard to pull a complicated story together in a very silly way.

The pace and acting are appropriate and the director does a good job with atmosphere and mood, but it falls flat overall.

"Wayne was doing really weird things with his eyeballs. Wayne's dad was a Marine. It turns out he was doing Morse code with his eyes. He was saying, "SOS, SOS, SOS, SOS., over and over and over."

Perhaps I'm a weird personality. That's the reason why I really enjoy movies like "Bottom of the World". Contrarious, difficult to understand, confusing and slightly disturbing. As the denouement kicked in and the inextricable story became a little bit clearer, I was totally stunned. It was undeniably clear to me that I wanted to watch this weird movie again one day. Only to discover other clues. Clues that escaped me. I fully realize that most people who saw this movie, won't like it at all. Many will see it as a waste of time. A meaningless, dumb film with an incomprehensible story-line.

To be honest, I had that same feeling after the first 15 minutes. We see Scarlett (Jena Malone) and Alex (Douglas Smith) cruising across the US. Two youngsters in an old, American car, on their way to L.A. and enduring the scorching heat of the desert. Where do they actually come from? What goal are they aiming for? And where are they exactly? I had no idea. They decide to spend the night in a strange looking hotel, with an impressive and magical looking lobby, while the part where the guestrooms are situated, resembles that of a cheap motel. And then one absurd fact follows after another. A local television channel with a pseudo preacher (Ted Levine) proclaiming religious messages. A weirdo who observes their room at night. And then Scarlett seems unable to leave town without feeling as if her head explodes. And finally she disappears.

And then there's even bigger confusion when Alex wakes up in a seemingly different life as a married, well earning husband. Even more weird. The woman living next door is Scarlett. From here on, the story lines seem to twist around another like cooked spaghetti and there are several facts that refer to what's real. I'm not such a big fan of films full of symbolism and metaphysical states. The makers tried to find a proper balance between reality and a sort of dream phase. In the end I was wondering which personage actually exists and which personage originated from a subconscious mind. I assume that everything has to do with a guilt feelings caused by an unacceptable act from the past. (Think this is a hazy description? Well that's intentionally.)

Jena Malone is no Scarlett Johansson, but in a way she succeeded in looking sensual and seductive. On the other hand, she also appears to have perverse traits and you start to question her mental health. The story she tells about her nephew and the way she treated him, isn't something a mentally healthy person could come up with. Even if its purpose was just to shock Alex. Personally, I thought Douglas Smith acted rather soft and absent. And wasn't he a bit too young to be a married guy? At first I thought it was his mother in the kitchen. All in all, a fascinating film that leaves you behind with more questions than answers.

More reviews here : http://bit.ly/2qtGQoc

To be brief and to the point. This movie thinks it is more clever than it actually is. The acting is pretty good but the story and the constant going back and forth between dreams, flashback and reality is a gimmick that's just meant to confuse the viewer until the "great reveal". Not so great, in my opinion. This type of storytelling has been done before.

Bottom of the World is in my upinion a story about psychotic breakdowns but it's not clear who suffers this disease. Is it the boy or the girl? Both of them have different versions of their time together. Delusions of love found and lost drive the protagonist over the edge. Partners vanish or are being replaced by other persons. Nobody can help them find their way back to reality.

This is an enjoyable movie that twists and turns all the way to its conclusion. There are some great performances from the leads, but also from Tamara Duarte, who underplays the part of Paige superbly. It is very confusing and probably 15 minutes too short, but definitely a worthwhile view

I didn't understand anything in the movie until the end. It's weird, mysterious and screwed with a terrific ambiance. In the last 15 minutes things get cleared up. Watched the movie again and it's really good then! Even the somewhat dull acting from Douglas Smith makes sense in the second ride.

If you're into straightforward Hollywood movies then you're not gonna like Bottom Of The World but if you're into somewhat alternative, weird psychological thrillers, this one is definitely for you!

Like another reviewer said it's not for everyone. He couldn't be more right. It's not for everyone, especially not for me. I love mysteries that you have to try to solve before the end of the movie. But here it isn't a mystery. Or maybe it is but I honestly couldn't be bothered knowing what it is. The beginning is promising but then it's all going downhill. The story doesn't make much sense, and maybe for somebody that like to think a lot when he's watching a movie it does make sense. I'm not one of those. I like stories with a beginning, a middle and an end, easy stories to follow. Movies like this one are just a waste of time and money to me. The actors are not bad, the story is though. There is not much more to say about Bottom Of The World.

This is a movie that offers an assortment of David Lynch trademarks, in service of a story that's all surface and has none of the pervasive worldview - the perspective - of a David Lynch film. It reads as homage, I guess, but aside from the flattery of imitation it has nothing to offer.

Elements of Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart are pretty obvious. There's even a lamp with a red shade.

I guess if, like the filmmakers, you enjoy Lynch and have no idea why, you might like this. But if you like substance with your knockoff style, move along.

So here we have of what I think was an attempt to make a cult type film.

But what we end up with after watching only 40 mins of Bottom Of The World is the bottom of the IMDb ratings for another mess.

There may have been some potential here, but the girl was just annoying as the flashbacks that didn't make any sense.

Then this shady character who needs a new ski mask and some vocal coaching shows up and then it went even more downhill from there.

I'm guessing this was a religious type film from the constant church crosses and preacher on the TV all the time (I was begging for the actors to change the channel he was so annoying, but no success).

Seriously, don't waste your time... I couldn't get past the desert scene (approx 30-40 mins in?) before I said "enough of this garbage".