You Were Never Really Here is an undeniably high-quality film with a complex, intricate plot. The picture is filled with mysteries and secrets, many of which are in the soul of the characters. This is a film with deep psychological content, the main idea of which is not so easy to grasp. The film You Were Never Really Here received many positive reviews from film critics and prestigious awards. Let’s try and find the hidden meaning of the picture. Why did this work so “hooked” the audience?
The meaning of the movie You Were Never Really Here
From the first frames of the film, it becomes clear that director Lynn Ramsey began a subtle psychological game with the audience. The signature highlight of the tape creator is flawless. It can be seen that special attention in the film is paid to the internal state of the characters. The director tried to show not only the actions of the characters, but also their motives. The meaning of the film “You were never here” is to show the depth of the ambiguity of the psychological portrait of the characters.
The storyline, at first glance, does not seem unique and intriguing. Everything is pretty simple. Lonely Joe is a hired worker. The character’s duties include saving children from the actions of pedophiles. But suddenly the logical chain breaks. The viewer begins to wonder about Joe’s past life. Why did the hero choose a difficult path for himself? Some of the character’s actions are very ambiguous. In his behavior, anxiety, doubts and an inability to complete what he started were noticed. What are Joe’s motives? There are too many questions. But each viewer independently analyzes the situation, finds clues and interprets the events shown.
Joe is at the center of the story. The character is between two fires. Cruelty, violence, pain are all too fresh in his memory. Memories of the past “poison” his existence. A tyrant father appears again and again before his eyes, who mocked the hero from an early age. War and service also left a significant imprint on Joe’s later life. He has come face to face with violence and knows its nature from within. The character is sure that the world around him is hopeless. There is not even a gap for a happy future filled with bright events. That’s why Joe doesn’t hold on to this world. The state of hopelessness, indifference on the part of others makes the hero believe that he has never been here. All events occur as if not with him.
The phrase “What are we doing?” is repeated throughout the film. The character simply does not see the meaning of his existence. He was tired of misunderstanding, distrust, injustice. In his soul is just a storm of emotions that the hero is trying to hide. He is psychologically lost, unstable. The countdown of numbers only confirms this version. It is too difficult for the hero to restore psychological balance and come to inner harmony. The atmosphere of the film “You were never here” suggests that the character is doomed to a miserable existence. The sad outcome cannot be changed. A few steps and the hero will reach one, after which there will be inner emptiness. Joe is desperate.
But in the life of the character there were not only sad events that he wants to get rid of as soon as possible. The hero many times wanted to cross the line and do the irreparable. But something kept him from committing suicide. Or someone? His mother. The woman needed to be taken care of. The character could not just abandon her, leave her to her fate. Later, Joe actually took custody of the girl, whose story struck him deeply. Mom and this little heroine became an incentive for the hero to move on, no matter what. Being between two diverse worlds, Joe knows exactly where he should direct his inner energy.
The meaning of the movie You Were Never Really Here
The metaphorical and unpredictable finale of the film You Were Never Really Here makes each viewer think about many things. Strong staging, brilliant acting and perfect music give a complete sense of presence. We understand that the hero practically consists of problems. He’s been through too much already. His faith and hope for a bright and happy future are irretrievably lost.
All our problems come from childhood. This is the meaning of the finale of the film You Were Never Really Here. The character cannot free himself from the complexes that were instilled in him at an early age. He saw a lot of violence and cruelty. A close person hurt him very much. Now the character cannot trust anyone around.
Two opposite worlds that are connected by a thin thread. In the center is Joe, who is unable to take responsibility and make difficult decisions. His psyche is in a deplorable state. But over time, the hero realized that, despite all the problems and hardships, he has a purpose for which it is worth living. The character bit by bit collected himself, his soul. He wants to regain inner strength and understand that each of us is the creator of our own happiness. Limitations are only in our head. The world is not as hopeless as Joe imagined.
