This scene was haunting. The realization that his whole life he was untouchable, he was able to do whatever he wanted, and like a true psychopath he manipulated that. Now he's about to turn legal age, and being as intelligent as he is, realizes he's going to have to go to a place where he's going to have to deal with monsters far worse than him. For the first time in his life, he's afraid.
As well as he doesn't feel the power anymore, he killed all those people what he had been aiming to do was finished and realised there was no outcome for it
To the people saying, "Kevin didn't kill his mother because he loves her and is the only one he truly respects" you're wrong. Sorry, but it's true. The reason he didn't kill her is because he wants her to suffer. Imagine having a family, and one kid is a psycho in jail, and your husband is dead, AND your daughter is dead because of him. Now, Eva has no one to care about. Obviously, this would be an almost impossible thing to ever get over. Also, by being the mom of the kid that murdered a bunch of people, made EVERYBODY hate Eva. He wants her to suffer.
I agree. He had a deep hatred for her, and knew that taking away the only 2 people she loved would leave her alone and cause her pain, and by killing his classmates he knew it would cause a huge media frenzy that would ruin her life after; friends, jobs, etc.
But I think when she asks him why he did it, and he responds, "I used to think I knew but now I'm not so sure." Meaning he thought he hated her, and that was the reason for his actions, but now that he's going to an adult jail, and he's scared, alone, and vulnerable(like when he was sick), he's not too sure.
I disagree Talking to his mom at the end, I think he was scared to express his love for his mother and that brought hatred, he used to think he knew he hated his mom, going to big boy jail he realizes how much he loves her and how vunerable he is. He did love his mother, was just scared of real emotions. thats why he said he used to think he knew. But its impossible to say really.
because he was defensive and love evokes vunerability, and that scared him, fear evokes anger and in the case of someone who is obviously mentally ill, it would manifest in bizarre behaviour like that. just my opinion
@@jes4408 I was actually wondering why she didn't commit suicide in the movie... She's gone through so much, her family is dead, everyone in town hates her and think she was indirectly responsible for the massacre... It should be soul crushing and it's surprising that she didn't suicide. My guess is: by killing herself, she would be giving Kevin what he wants, and she doesn't want that.
He's scared of going to prison. He knows he's gonna get beat up and there are gonna be people there capable of doing terrible things to him. He's not top dog anymore. He feels vulnerable. His actions in this scene have nothing to do with remorse. He doesn't give a fuck about his father or sister, or any of the people he killed. He's just terrified of going somewhere where he's the weak link. He leans on his mother for comfort, the same way he did when he was a child and sick. It's manipulation.
I'd argue that, even for it to be manipulation. He is scared, genuinely scared in this moment. Kevin and Eva's relationship had been so fraught with difficulty and distance. Eva blaming her chained self on him, and he reciprocated that hatred. But that hatred defined him to spite her. But when he fell ill; he needed comfort and Eva gave that to him. There was no effort, no single attempt.. He needed her then and saw something real.. tangible. Beyond what he understood. It was enough for Eva to fall in love with Kevin's heart, even if it'd be shrouded once more from her. All his life, he's yearned for something more from Eva. But the distance returned and Eva wouldn't ever try to break through more than once. Even with all his walls, the only honesty he's ever been accustomed to was when she broke his arm in a fit of rage. He couldn't find a way to express the desire he wanted from his mother. And Eva could never find the strength to break through her son's walls against her. Kevin didn't care for anyone else but his mother. Not with love, but to see the genuine emotion that Eva displayed in brisk moments. No more fake smiles, faked interest in him, just raw emotion. He felt raw love, raw hatred, raw malice, and that was all he wanted from his mother. Her suffering was real to him... and this final scene is the last bit of raw love he'd feel once more. Eva; despite everything that happened carried a love for him deep inside despite everything. Nothing could change or fix what happened. Kevin will be sent to Prison and he'll be the weakest link among them all. Eva will live as the pariah of sorrow to channel upon. Eva's life will forever be tainted by her son's actions and the years of guilt she carries... But the light at the exit may allude that she will live on. She won't be able to visit every day, nor ever see Kevin the same way again. But this final moment, she may've said goodbye to the last bit of Kevin that she loved deeply.
I promise you, people in prison really could care less if you’re a killer or even a rasict. they’ll mess you up for touching kids, but a killer? in jail maybe you’ll turn some head, prison, no one cares.
Madgirlwithabox I know I'm gonna sound like an ignorant dick, but if he killed my lover & my daughter I can't see how I could ever love him. 😐 (I know he is mentally ill)
I think this scene shows Kevin being terrified. I don't believe that he shows remorse rather he shows confusion over his actions he knows he wanted to but he's not sure why. And now that he's screwed in prison he leans on the only thing he has left his mother. All of this because of fear.
something tells me that kevin's mom knew that she would have to face this. Could it be possible she was hiding her true face from something kevin didn't knew entirely? Maybe her Mom is more of a monster than he really is..
The audiobook is on UA-cam and explains the story so much better than the movie. There is more to the ending in the book. It’s a wonderful book, I highly recommend reading it or listening to it.
@@isaacmurillo9139I think he always thought his mother hated him, that's why he was so awful to her, that's why he killed all those people and not her - to punish her. But after everything she still visits him. He's scared of going to the big boys prison and feels real fear for the 1st time. She is still there. He realises she had always loved him and still does.
@@isaacmurillo9139 Hell no dude! The directors and writers were on top of their game with this flick. Everything is deliberate. I Always saw it as Kevin having been starved of affection in his infantile state. That carrying onto his toddler and adolescent life. He has subconsciously made up his mind that if he cannot gain his mother's attention through love, then he will force her to obsess over him through hate. He might have developed R.A.D. . And his cruelty is a form of fit and outburst even in old age. This attention from his mother, was always like a dog chasing after it's tail. Now that he has it. What the hell is there left? Does it even matter anymore? Was this what he wanted? All of this definitely are not his conscious thoughts, but lingers in the background of his mind as a result of his upbringing. He's a pyschopath that's for sure, but was it nature or nurture?
Final lines of book: "Because after three days short of eighteen years, I can finally announce that I am too exhausted and too confused and too lonely to keep fighting, and if only out of desperation or even laziness I love my son. He has five grim years left to serve in an adult penitentiary, and I cannot vouch for what will walk out the other side. But in the meantime, there is a second bedroom in my serviceable apartment. The bedspread is plain. A copy of Robin Hood lies on the bookshelf. And the sheets are clean."
@@ipreferfantasylife8683 Iirc he timed it right so that he wasn't 16 yet. He was given a more lenient sentencing (but had to be transferred to the adult penitentiary after he turned 18)
@@ipreferfantasylife8683 in the book it’s stated that he only got a 7 year sentence after successfully arguing in court that Prozac caused him to murder his classmates
@@ipreferfantasylife8683 It definetly depends on the prosecution, the charges, and the judge. He was a minor, first offender, and probably had a decent lawyer, its very likely hed get minimum for a lesser sentencing than certain sentencings and would probably be given less time for good behavior.
I know mothers are sometimes not in control when it comes to loving their children, i get that. But accepting them into your home, after that and knowing that he probably will be the same, is extremely weird to me.
I saw the movie as a portrait of a rejected, angry kid trying to make his mom as miserable as himself. He hated that she didn't loved him and she tried SO HARD, but he wanted her to be miserable because she made him miserable. He killed classmates because they bullied him, he killed his sister cuz she did NOTHING but their mom loved her, he killed his father cuz his mother loved him. He didn't kill the mother cuz he wanted her to suffer like he was. Not saying it's OK what he did, he did it out of anger and childish - she asks why he did it and he wasn't sure, because It doesn't matter anymore. he thought her misery would bring him some sort of joy but it doesn't - her love would. And now he's even sadder
@@nay5783 I don't think his goal was to make her hurt. Ever since he was a baby he was different, the only person in his family that he had traits in common with was his mother. But she was cold and made him think she did not love him, since he had nothing in common with his father or sister he likely felt very alone and unloved. His acts weren't for the sole purpose of making her suffer, it was to get her attention and make her feel truly alone.
This movie is so uncomfortable and disturbing. It has an all around unnerving feeling that you just can't shake even when the movie is over and done with. I truly do love this movie but the feeling it gives off is hard to stomach.
+Christian 4_Realzz I watched it because I wanted to see if he could be the flash and I found a dark corner that no one likes to look at because it makes you think about life
Ezra Miller is the Flash! You think its possible for Kevin to be screwed up and the reason why he killed his classmates was b/c he hated the school and his parents! This movie was messed up and the mother pays the price for what Kevin did! Reminds me of Columbine April 20 1999 !
Excellent acting by Ezra Miller and Tilda Swinton. In earlier scenes, his eyes were cold and gleaming with malice. Now they express vulnerability, even love for his mom. A lot of things were said between them just by expression. This scene from the book is just what I imagined, and somewhat better.
In the book, when she hugs him, his face in kind of buried in her neck for a moment. She thinks she hears him say "I'm sorry, Mom." As well done as the movie was, the book blows it out of the water. Can't recommend it enough.
I think when he says “I used to think I knew now I’m not so sure”, that the reason he did it was to punish his mother for not loving him, but the fact she keeps showing up for him and still visits shows she does love him, and he sees that now
I really like how the mother walks into the light at the very end. Didn't really catch that the first time, but I interpret it as her acceptance of Kevin and her new life because of him. After hearing Kevin say he doesn't know why he did it anymore (suggesting that he was/is a sociopath and just wanted her to feel immense pain simply for his own pleasure), it gives her a sense of peace, or closure, with the whole situation and she can finally stop letting it control her life.
Kevin is not just a murderer he is a psychopath. Manipulative, lacking empathy, egocentrism: he has all of that. He also killed a hamster which is a typical pattern psychopaths take before killing humans.
That’s important people’s tendency to dehumanize these people is why it keeps happening. I mean if someone’s just a monster how to u fix that in contrast to actually understanding the psychology so that treatment can be pursued.
@@banquetoftheleviathan1404 Most psychopaths aren't murderers, a minority of them are but most live like normal people. However ALL of them are selfish, narcissistic, manipulative and difficult to be around, that's just in their nature unfortunately
I like the implication that Eva doesn't let Kevin get to her anymore. She CHOOSES to hug him, he doesn't manipulate her. She demands to know why and she sarcastically asks if he's nervous. She forgives him for making her life hell and in doing so she gets a small victory. Kevin can't hurt her anymore, even after taking everything away from her
Best most insightful comment on this page. The highest up votes here have gone to those w/their no experience/understanding of what you saw and the book validates.
This movie makes my stomach churn with something, I can't put my finger on it. I think Kevin was both a bad seed from birth (brain abnormality) and with lack of motherly love and disciplining he grew into the sociopath that murdered his family and peers. I think he kept her alive in part because he wanted her to suffer the pain of having no one to love her, like he felt when he was a child and his mother felt no love for him, and in part because he had a weird erotic love for her for being so much like him. They definitely see each other in themselves, and towards the end, they both start to see the full error of their ways. Eva realizes in part that the blood he shed is very much on her hands for not being the best mother, and Kevin realizes after psychological treatment that he isn't the genius he thought he was but rather a very messed up kid who was just yearning for mommy's attention the entire time. Not to the full extent but it just touches on the beginning of emotion
It seemed more like his lack of love from his mother led him to hate her intensely from an early age which led to an obsession with spiting her at every turn. His life goal was to spite her as much as possible. When he finally did what he knew would break her the most, he was unfulfilled and realized how pointless it was. Hence the line where he says he doesn't even know why he's doing it anymore.
People with the genes to make them antisocial can be productive members of society. This was learned through a scientist's discovery that he had the same brain patterns as serial killers. The difference? In all of his childhood photos, he was smiling. He had a family that loved him and he was not abused. It's neither nature nor nurture, it's nature *AND* nurture. So good parental relationships can make all the difference--not the kind where one side is faked. The kind he could've had with his mother if she'd accepted and loved him with full warmth. A child has to be both seen for who they are, and loved for who they are to be truly healthy.
Whitley Lol Lots of people grow up without motherly love and don't go on a murdering spree! There is no blood on the mothers hand! It's all on him. Cut it with the liberal sympathy
Sammi ss No one is blaming the mother for murder. But the mother raised him so she obviously contributed to his character. Try to think before saying something stupid next time.
The power he derived from bullying and manipulating his mother, is no longer, as his peers are hardened criminals who wont put up with his BS the way his mother did. He might also feel humbled and perhaps even embarrassed at the idea he actually wants and needs his mothers unconditional love in such a torrid time.
if you watch the beginning of this movie, it's quite obvious that Kevin's mother resents his existence right from the start. she didn't even want a child, she liked traveling. mother-son bonding is a crucial part of how a boy will act in his prepubescent and pubescent years. and they had absolutely no bond. you can tell how hollow their relationship is when she attempts to take him golfing and then to dinner.
It seemed more like his lack of love from his mother led him to hate her intensely from an early age which led to an obsession with spiting her at every turn. His life goal was to spite her as much as possible. When he finally did what he knew would break her the most, he was unfulfilled and realized how pointless it was. Hence the line where he says he doesn't even know why he's doing it anymore.
Ramofields Fieldamona thats true. There is no excuse for Kevin’s lashing out..especially the way that he did it. But even Tilda Swinton said in an interview that Kevin hated her because she wasn’t mentally ‘there’.
Ramofields Fieldamona Exactly, it’s not a strong argument. Yes she didn’t want to become a mother like most women with unplanned pregnancies, but sensing her bad energy? That’s a stretch. She really made the effort to bond with him but his reaction was too volatile and unusual for a kid. All he had to do was show little affection and he would have won her over for the rest of his life.
Very unnerving film. The scene that stuck with me is the mom ,having lost everything and now living in a modest home near a railroad ,is preparing his bedroom for a return that will probably never happen.
I just watched this and it strikes me as important that the mother keeps visiting him in prison, despite their disturbing past, the murders, and the way he continues to try to make things as uncomfortable as possible and antagonistic between them... he hates her, he destroyed everything she loved, but she still comes to visit him... and you get the impression she visits regularly. It would be so much more comfortable and easy for her to stay away and try to forget him. I think this is important. It could mean many things... possibly this is the only way she has shown devotion / emotional support to him, despite him deserving none of it. He is afraid of what is to come in the general prison and all he has in the world is his mother, the person he has hated and tried to destroy. Has she been waiting all this time for a emotional confession? an apology? an acknowledgment of guilt? He gave her nothing in the end, but she was able to accept it, warmly hug him and move on with her life into the white light of the open door... Pretty profound and disturbing.
Pep Hau I watched this scene and was amazed too at how her kept going back to see him and then it hit me.... She's a mother. I think there's certainly a supernatural bond that forms between a true parent and a child (blood or adopted doesn't matter). This is her some and he's all her has left. I think even though she was initially a bad mother, she truly did try over and over again to connect with him because of the unseen bond that ties them. despite the horrendous things he's done... He. Is. Her. Son. And he may have not given her a verbal apology or sign of remorse but his words "I don't know anymore" are a sign of a step in the right direction .... Lol, I could go on... I'll stop now.
Disagree. She asked him "why", and he actually did confess that he's "not sure anymore", admitting that, no, he didn't "manage everything so well". And there are deliberate, non-verbal things going on here too. She actually nods affirmatively after he responds to her question, if you look closely. And, when they go to hug, he does it like a little kid with both arms lowered (since the adult will assumedly be taller), even though - ergonomically - he's a bit bigger than she is. And she goes into it w/ both arms on top, as if to smother him w/ a blanket for comfort and security (before he's tossed into the lion's den). So, IMO that was the "give" and the "accept". He essentially rolls the ball to her, and now she gets to decide whether to acknowledge it or not. He admits (in few words) that he messed up, that he's scared and needs her. She embraces him to show that she's still "there" for him, that he's not alone.
When he admits that he doesn't know why he did it anymore, he's releasing the false narrative that he did it because he hates her so much. That's what he means. He's been using her as a scapegoat for all the emotional torture he puts her through for years, and when he finally abandons that, you can see the relief on her face. That is why she is able to move on. She keeps visiting him before because even though it is torture to her, she believes he deserves to get the chance to inflict pain on her for all the pain she supposedly inflicted on him. She irons his shirts and keeps his room clean to hurt herself as well. She takes all the slaps and abuse the others hurl at her because she believes it is penance. At that moment, he finally told her that she hadn't just suffered "enough," she never needed to suffer at all. Why he did this, we can only guess. But it is redemptive for her.
God I love Tilda Swinton. She’s so underrated. From Constantine to Narnia she’s a true master of her craft and I’m not one to gush about celebrities 👏🏽🙌🏽
To the people who think that the sadistic and psychopathic Kevin wouldn't have killed if he was disciplined--- You shouldn't expect a cat to act like a mouse, regardless of how you treat it; the cat is a cat. Kevin is a predator and although therapy could've helped he would still lack affective empathy, remorse and would be just as manipulative as he was in the film+book
Rory Gilmartinr making a metaphor an using it as an argument is completely flawed. There’s a reason when doing studies in human behavior they don’t come to a conclusion by just making a metaphor that sounds nice
LRN_News I’m sorry but my dumb ass is confused on whether Kevin is a psychopath or a sociopath. I know there’s a difference but there’s a lot of comments that kind of blur the lines between the two. Please explain-
I was dreading what was going to happen to his sister and her death left me sad, but him killing his father was far more disturbing... I was partially pleased because it was like pops finally got to see the crazy come out, but how disturbingly sociopathic is it to kill the person who loved you and praised you and hung out with you since childhood. That makes me feel haunted.
The ending where she was walking through the hallway had me near tears. I could just see her just seeing all the past with him, to diapers to murder. He's a cold, manipulative kid but he was her's. This film is brilliant.
The only time we see him vulnerable. He's probably not gonna survive a maximum security prison, at least not without damage, and he and his mother know it, which is why she hugs him goodbye even though she hates him. Sociopaths want to see others suffer but are usually ill-equipped for suffering themselves.
Cheryl Lynne different time period, jeffery was left unsupervised with other inmates. From what i understand, they don't let prisoners especially of the extremely dangerous variation just wander around with other inmates without supervision. I don't know why they let people like him wander around other inmates in the first place. Luckily he became docile, or he couldve killed more people in the prison
@@rikifromplanetk8305 Ohhh man you don't get it. This kid has two options, either: 1) you're out in the commons w/ other prisoners who - for the most part - find murderers like this reprehensible, and who will physically and/or sexually brutalize him to no end. 2) if the brutalization is too much to endure, he can cause some trouble to get himself locked up in isolation. That would be safe, but people lose their minds being locked in in a what is essentially box with no human contact 23 hours out of the day. Prisoners spend plenty of time unsupervised or minimally-supervised. How many guards do you think they have staffing these places? And do you think the guards are going to be looking out for people like this? Unless a knife fight breaks out in the open, guards aren't going to get involved in the petty day-to-day antics and violence among various groups of prisoners.
@@rikifromplanetk8305 Also - "different time period"? Jeffrey Dahmer was killed in the mid-90's. There hasn't some vast update to the way these places are generally run in the last 20 years. It's not like Dahmer's conviction was 100 years ago.
The most heartbreaking thing about this scene is that even though Kevin is responsible for completely destroying his mother's life she's so lonely that she needs him in her life because he is the only person in the world who she can talk to.
FierceONeill which is probably why he killed the dad and the daughter. Notice right after he overhears the dad say that he wants custody over Kevin and to discuss the divorce, he kills students at his school then he kills the only people that the mom loved. She resented him early on cause she wanted to be a world traveler not a mother and Kevin was a constant reminder that Eva could never pursue her life-goal dreams. So in a twisted way Kevin yearned for the attention of his mother. The only way he seemed to get it was through acting out so she would break his arm and kill the ones she loved. Now all she has is Kevin. He killed the dad and daughter to maybe get some sort of victory over his mom to make her either hate him more or give attention.
I don't think that's precisely the case. the final scene came off that Eva finally is moving on with her own life. She isn't cutting ties with Kevin as she is forever connected to him... But she simply finds some solace she needed to move on. Why Kevin did what he did... and in the end, even he doesn't know why he did it. Maybe she already knows but needed to hear it from Kevin himself. She leaves a space for Kevin to come home to, if and when he eventually leaves that prison. But she's ready to move on with her life by stepping into the light. These visits will no longer be as common, though its likely she'll still visit him in prison. to show she still loves her son... Not the monster that killed people.
@@Polomance862in the book, she mentions he has five more years, so I think he will leave the prison. That is... if the other guys don't get him first.
I read Roger Ebert's review of this movie last night and I really wish they would've kept in the line that he mentioned was cut from this scene: Eva asks Kevin why he didn't kill her, and he responds, "You don't want to kill your audience."
Kevin has so much hatred for his mom since he felt/ thought he was never loved by her. I believe that there's something about mothers that makes an exceptional bond to their sons and daughters, that is so innate even if the baby is still in the womb. I feel since birth, their 'bond' was dull or non existent at all with the cause of her mom having depression afterwards. This has affected their relationship through the years. His hate roots from the very beginning that grew over the time which he himself could not explain. All he knows is that he despise her mother. The same way goes with his mother, she felt nothing but pain and regret whenever she sees him. He's like a living image of her broken dreams. They somewhat have this mutual feeling of hatred for each other but they themselves, couldn't figure it out. But a mother is a mother, they are capable of giving love that's unconditional and incomparable to anyone. So despite everything, in the end, Tilda still accepts him and stays with him, even if there's self blame and her life ruined by his son, she's still there at the very end. While on the other hand, Kevin having been in jail for quite some time, he then finally realize that what he thought he knew (hating his mother since birth) is now in a different course. With all the things he has done, all the means he took to subject pain and suffering to her mother because of his hatred, she's still there for her. When he thought what he has done can make her hate him so much more, it's the other way around. He saw that no matter what he does, his mother is still his mother and will always love him no matter what.
Psychopaths are unable to love in the same way we do. Their love is based on loyalty and trust and I think thats what Kevin has for his mother. Through the years he was always an asshole to her but she never gave up on him. I think thats why he didnt kill her. He couldn't, He knew she is the only person who always truly stood by him while knowing what a monster he was and appreciated it.
angie sanders A child never asked to be given life. A child never asked to be put in this world. They don't owe anyone anything. And parents can be abusive, even emotionally abusive, that can subconsciously affect the development of a child's brain. Kevin's mother hated her son from the start, and you all know it. This caused Kevin to spite her mom, because of the disconnect between them and the lack of love from his mom.
So damn handsome, hah. Also, what a talented actor; he transitions from a mix of soul-less/dontgiveafuck/resentful eyes to a totally vulnerable expression; in the end he's essentially crying without actually physically crying. And these two finally have a genuine moment together. Which is a really great payoff for the audience. Well, at least the empathetic, non-psychopathic members of the audience who are starved for just a little bit of warmth by this point, haha. Beautiful.
"I used to think I knew but now I'm not so sure" Is one of my favourite lines from the movie. it tells us that he was going through some hard time in his teenage years when he did what he did. But now when he is getting older and becoming an adult he now sees how pointless his actions were and clearly regretting them, and how he just really want his mommy but can't...
I dont think he suddenly 'wants his mommy'. I think he came to realise that she was the only hook he had left after hunting dosn any person that couldve cared. She is the last place that means hope after the next years in prison and he knows that after jail he can come live with her. Another form kf his ongoing manipulation. He wouldve killed his mother as well jf he didnt want her to suffer that much, now this turns out good for him again as the mother really has a place for him at her house.
I feel like this scene means a lot. Just seeing the way they both are towards each other after the terrible things he did, and seeing how he is slowly changing, and realizing how vulnerable he is. And she shows how she loves him in a way, because of the hug. She cares for him, and wishes that she would have raised him better.
I felt like the ending served as poetic justice for the audience. The antagonist (Kevin) who was a douchebag throughout the film is now terrified of the unknown in this last scene. his hair has been shaved off, there are scratches on his face from someone who probably attacked him, he’s heading to an adult prison soon and there is nothing he can do to fix those grim choices he made. The only person he has left is his mom whom he hated so much and if She wanted to, could stop visiting him all together.
I feel sorry for him. And people will say that I shouldn't. But I do. I feel deeply sorry for him. This is a heart-wrenching scene! Superbly acted! The way she hugged him at the end, it makes me wanna cry.
I feel the exact same way. I would never do anything that Kevin did, but I feel that I am a lot like him in a way, and his relationship with his mother, feels exactly like mine. But I love my mother more, just ad much as she does. But the way I express my feelings around her, are really similar to the way Kevin "expresses" his own around her. I feel like I have a lot of problems, including autism and aspbergers,high anxiety, ADHD, and depression. And their relationship is really similar to ours.
"I used to think I knew. Now I'm not so sure" I don't think this is just about the massacre. Its about everything Kevin has ever done and he's just now realizing that maybe there just isn't a reason he's the way he is. Like he says himself. "There is no point. That's the point"
This is one of those scenes that I don’t think gets enough credit. Everything about it can breed different experiences from it and I’ve heard so many great arguments for what was happening in Kevin’s head. You can feel everything and everytime I got back I try and watch it from a different perspective I’ve heard of.
Hebrew Anon if you read the book, the mom told him he could live with her when he gets out of prison and then they both hug and apologize to each other.
In the book it says that he would be freed at 23 and that she finally realized she loved him and will always have a spare room for him with the robin hood book on the side of the bed
We're going to find out many actors like Ezra r extremely dark, soulless monsters who should've NEVER been idolized to begin with. This scene was hauntingly prophetic.
Few films truly disturb me and haunt my psyche for several days after seeing them. “Requiem for a Dream”, “Incendies”, “The Secret in Their Eyes” (Spanish version) and this one come to mind. Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller have two of the most expressive faces I’ve ever seen and say more with their eyes than most actors do with a soliloquy. I remember how tough this film was to watch from the first viewing.... I may come back to it sometime, but I’m in no hurry.
This aged pretty well with how Ezra Miller turned out irl. Soon he's gonna be in a scene like this, finally afraid for the first time after he has been allowed to do all the things he did for too long.
*Seems like life imitated art. Ezra is heading for an ending like this in prison and it disturbs me to know what kind of person Ezra has become in real life. Hes a monster sadly and the truth is coming out and getting worse day by day. Life is so weird*
What I think makes this scene so good is that I think both know what’s going to happen to him. His mother says he’ll “be out in a couple of years, but it’s said in almost a taunting way, because they both know that Kevin is going to experience the upmost brutality in prison. Her hug she gives him is her saying goodbye to him, not her forgiving him or anything of the sort. Both of them know that he’s a dead man walking, and he’s going to be killed in a far more violent and twisted way than Kevin ever inflicted on anyone else.
Such a mult-layerd, complex film. Kept me thinking for days. Tilda and Ezra were so intertwined, it was hard to define who was who at times. I gave it the highest rating. So many film goers forgo pithy films such as this because the subject matter is disturbing, so what, it's the acting technique that matters and in this case it was beyond superb.
Ezra Miller is one of *the* most scarily talented actors on earth, hands down. Seeing them share a scene with the equally talented Tilda Swinton is downright chilling. I'm amazed the sheer concentrated charisma in the room didn't set something on fire.
Im a parent myself and i would probably react the same way she did, Im gald we tell stories throught the the parents killer's eyes, it is almost never done!
People are over thinking the ending. He was just a kid who took everything for granted, he was angry and drowning in his teenage fazes, getting mad at his sister for stupid little things and bullying her cause she was getting attention he never got from his parents and envied her for it. He didn't realize what he had until it was gone, and in his case, he took it away. At the end, he finally stepped outside his box and saw what he did, saw there are coincidences to your actions and being so lost in hatred would blind you from the truth, happiness and family whom always been around you and loves you. Now, he realizes all this and he is the reason it is all gone, he deeply regrets it, because the place he is now, no one loves him nor care for him. All he has now is his mom, and not even she can protect him anymore. When you make your bed, you lay in it.
Little CinnamonRoll I absolutely loved your perspective on what you took from this film but come on dude, he wasn’t a regular teen that was jealous of his baby sister. He showed clear signs of psychopathy from the jump. Come on now.
You’re literally over thinking everything, you wrote all of that but ended up being wrong the minute you made that false claim in the beginning of your sentence
My favourite moment of the whole movie “why did you do it Kevin”? The look on his face, so subtle but it says so much. “Two years and you still don’t know why I did what I did?” Then he says “I used to think I knew, now I’m not so sure” Made me laugh when she hugs him.
You can clearly make out how Kevin now wants to stay eternally hooked from his mom, fearful of what's coming on him and how she despises how she still loves him after all he's caused, from that little moment of their hug. An absolutely devastating story, extracting both an incredible and award-deserving masterpiece of a film and an original, powerful, extremely well-written and all-time favorite novel.
Kevin has no sense of self. He only feels "real" when seen by others, which is why he values (not loves) his mother and despises the rest of his family: his mother is (at least, initially) the only one who "sees" him as he is. His acts of cruelty are twisted bids for attention and connection, forcing her to see him and respond to him in an authentic way (like when she snaps and breaks his arm as a child) instead of the superficial act she puts on the rest of the time. In the final passages of the book, Eva acknowledges the irony that it is through his violence that Kevin finally forces his mother to love him. "But it must be possible to earn a devotion by testing an antagonism to its very limit, to bring people closer through the very act of pushing them away. Because after three days short of eighteen years, I can finally announce that I am too exhausted and too confused and too lonely to keep fighting, and if only out of desperation or even laziness I love my son."
The entire film was difficult to watch, but it was also tragically beautiful. The end makes me cry every time I see it. It’s the first time you see Kevin show any type of emotion for his mother. Getting has ass kicked in baby prison humbled in and I bet he wanted his mother. ❤
This film is so underrated and brilliant. Tilda Swinton being a fantastic actress, Ezra Miller (who we now realize was typecast) did a convincingly evil job, John C. Reilly in a rare serious role, Lynne Ramsay being a phenomenal director who clearly knows how to work with talent (having collaborated with Joaquin Phoenix as well as Swinton in her films), Jonny Greenwood doing the score… perfection
'How would I not know the context when I am the context.' Ugh that line is perfect for Kevin. I know this might not be true but I feel when he overheard that conversation between his mother and father it made him pursue murder of his father, sister and peers (I know it was in spite of his mother). I haven't read the book so I am off the mark but that line was amazing given what was happening and how Kevin was.
Why does no one ever mention the father's role in this. Yes, Keven acted differently around him but he wasn't blind. He went about the house like a ghost. Every time this woman tried to talk to him about Keven he dismissed her. The father was not present and by being that way he gave Kevin permission to continue to act out in any way he wanted.
I just got done watching this film today. I wish I would've read the book first but, oh well... the movie itself is something that really digs deep into a reality people cannot see and have not seen and for me that was powerful enough. What strikes me the most is the acting from everyone in the film. They really pushed that inner mind barrier that you always keep covered from the real world. That's why I love films like these because, really, if you knew the answer than what's the purpose? The suspense? That hole that was just plunged through your heart? Boy what an imagination can do to you. Oh this life...
The amount of time it takes Eva to actually speak speaks volumes. He finally looked at Her though, probably as he felt she was finally looking at Him . Same as when they were sat on the floor of their big new Home . Looked at each other, said nothing and both looked away again in sync
![This is Where I Leave You - Quinn Visits Judd/Quinn's Pregnant [Full Scene]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5fuGDyJT38Q/mqdefault.jpg)
2011: We need to talk about Kevin
2022: We need to talk about Ezra
Deadass playing himself in this movie
Howling 🤣
Babahahaha fr
Ezra is a piece of shlt. he should do the world a favour & take himself out of it, no more danger to the public
But not Bruno
This scene was haunting.
The realization that his whole life he was untouchable, he was able to do whatever he wanted, and like a true psychopath he manipulated that.
Now he's about to turn legal age, and being as intelligent as he is, realizes he's going to have to go to a place where he's going to have to deal with monsters far worse than him. For the first time in his life, he's afraid.
Ryan M well said.
As well as he doesn't feel the power anymore, he killed all those people what he had been aiming to do was finished and realised there was no outcome for it
My reading was that he was trying to manipulate her here too by pretending vulnerability...
Good, he should be afraid. He murdered his father and his little sister without a thought, people like him should live in fear.
Worse than him? Not many out there that are worse than him.
all these comments make me feel like i'm reading the short responses in a language arts class
Payton L HHAHAHAHAHA SAME
LMAOOO
What in the flying fuck is a language arts class
S Sh english class
S Sh Is your IQ that low? It’s English class.
To the people saying, "Kevin didn't kill his mother because he loves her and is the only one he truly respects" you're wrong. Sorry, but it's true. The reason he didn't kill her is because he wants her to suffer. Imagine having a family, and one kid is a psycho in jail, and your husband is dead, AND your daughter is dead because of him. Now, Eva has no one to care about. Obviously, this would be an almost impossible thing to ever get over. Also, by being the mom of the kid that murdered a bunch of people, made EVERYBODY hate Eva. He wants her to suffer.
I agree. He had a deep hatred for her, and knew that taking away the only 2 people she loved would leave her alone and cause her pain, and by killing his classmates he knew it would cause a huge media frenzy that would ruin her life after; friends, jobs, etc.
But I think when she asks him why he did it, and he responds, "I used to think I knew but now I'm not so sure." Meaning he thought he hated her, and that was the reason for his actions, but now that he's going to an adult jail, and he's scared, alone, and vulnerable(like when he was sick), he's not too sure.
I disagree
Talking to his mom at the end, I think he was scared to express his love for his mother and that brought hatred, he used to think he knew he hated his mom, going to big boy jail he realizes how much he loves her and how vunerable he is. He did love his mother, was just scared of real emotions. thats why he said he used to think he knew. But its impossible to say really.
Justin Madden Why would he make his mom suffer countless times then?
because he was defensive and love evokes vunerability, and that scared him, fear evokes anger and in the case of someone who is obviously mentally ill, it would manifest in bizarre behaviour like that. just my opinion
Fun fact: the name of the song that plays at the end is called “Mothers last words to her son”
so.... she's gonna commit suicide, hence the blinding light.
@@jes4408 no
doomsday let’s hope she doesn’t-
@@jes4408 I was actually wondering why she didn't commit suicide in the movie... She's gone through so much, her family is dead, everyone in town hates her and think she was indirectly responsible for the massacre... It should be soul crushing and it's surprising that she didn't suicide. My guess is: by killing herself, she would be giving Kevin what he wants, and she doesn't want that.
@@isadora4237 yeah that is true
He's scared of going to prison. He knows he's gonna get beat up and there are gonna be people there capable of doing terrible things to him. He's not top dog anymore. He feels vulnerable. His actions in this scene have nothing to do with remorse. He doesn't give a fuck about his father or sister, or any of the people he killed. He's just terrified of going somewhere where he's the weak link. He leans on his mother for comfort, the same way he did when he was a child and sick. It's manipulation.
That is a fairly accurate assessment.
I'd argue that, even for it to be manipulation. He is scared, genuinely scared in this moment.
Kevin and Eva's relationship had been so fraught with difficulty and distance. Eva blaming her chained self on him, and he reciprocated that hatred. But that hatred defined him to spite her. But when he fell ill; he needed comfort and Eva gave that to him. There was no effort, no single attempt.. He needed her then and saw something real.. tangible. Beyond what he understood. It was enough for Eva to fall in love with Kevin's heart, even if it'd be shrouded once more from her.
All his life, he's yearned for something more from Eva. But the distance returned and Eva wouldn't ever try to break through more than once. Even with all his walls, the only honesty he's ever been accustomed to was when she broke his arm in a fit of rage. He couldn't find a way to express the desire he wanted from his mother. And Eva could never find the strength to break through her son's walls against her.
Kevin didn't care for anyone else but his mother. Not with love, but to see the genuine emotion that Eva displayed in brisk moments. No more fake smiles, faked interest in him, just raw emotion. He felt raw love, raw hatred, raw malice, and that was all he wanted from his mother. Her suffering was real to him... and this final scene is the last bit of raw love he'd feel once more. Eva; despite everything that happened carried a love for him deep inside despite everything.
Nothing could change or fix what happened. Kevin will be sent to Prison and he'll be the weakest link among them all. Eva will live as the pariah of sorrow to channel upon. Eva's life will forever be tainted by her son's actions and the years of guilt she carries... But the light at the exit may allude that she will live on. She won't be able to visit every day, nor ever see Kevin the same way again. But this final moment, she may've said goodbye to the last bit of Kevin that she loved deeply.
I promise you, people in prison really could care less if you’re a killer or even a rasict. they’ll mess you up for touching kids, but a killer? in jail maybe you’ll turn some head, prison, no one cares.
Yep
I wish she would have just slapped him across his face instead of hugging him
Ezra Miller has been method acting this role for a bit too long
I don't think we'll be seeing much more of him on screen.
Lol
@@Kevin_Kennelly you will. Give it a couple more years.
As many other actors
One trick pony
"A child needs your love most when he deserves it least"
The page before the book begins. What a fabulous quote.
Madgirlwithabox I know I'm gonna sound like an ignorant dick, but if he killed my lover & my daughter I can't see how I could ever love him. 😐 (I know he is mentally ill)
are you a mother?
He's not mentally ill. He's a violent psychopath.
Aivottaja psychopaths are mentally ill.
I think this scene shows Kevin being terrified. I don't believe that he shows remorse rather he shows confusion over his actions he knows he wanted to but he's not sure why. And now that he's screwed in prison he leans on the only thing he has left his mother. All of this because of fear.
PunkExMachina Exactly!!
I've never watched this movie but fear pf what?
{cookiemonster} Stu:Dio fear of what is waiting for him
something tells me that kevin's mom knew that she would have to face this. Could it be possible she was hiding her true face from something kevin didn't knew entirely? Maybe her Mom is more of a monster than he really is..
The audiobook is on UA-cam and explains the story so much better than the movie. There is more to the ending in the book. It’s a wonderful book, I highly recommend reading it or listening to it.
"I use to think I knew. Now I'm not so sure" Best quote of the movie
I agree
Is there a meaning to why he said this? Or am I overthinking it?
@@isaacmurillo9139I think he always thought his mother hated him, that's why he was so awful to her, that's why he killed all those people and not her - to punish her. But after everything she still visits him. He's scared of going to the big boys prison and feels real fear for the 1st time. She is still there. He realises she had always loved him and still does.
@@isaacmurillo9139 Hell no dude! The directors and writers were on top of their game with this flick. Everything is deliberate. I Always saw it as Kevin having been starved of affection in his infantile state. That carrying onto his toddler and adolescent life. He has subconsciously made up his mind that if he cannot gain his mother's attention through love, then he will force her to obsess over him through hate. He might have developed R.A.D. . And his cruelty is a form of fit and outburst even in old age. This attention from his mother, was always like a dog chasing after it's tail. Now that he has it. What the hell is there left? Does it even matter anymore? Was this what he wanted?
All of this definitely are not his conscious thoughts, but lingers in the background of his mind as a result of his upbringing. He's a pyschopath that's for sure, but was it nature or nurture?
decription says " i do not own anything". well thats just sad
you sound like Cleveland
+Knuckles9T5 I'm laughing way too hard than I should...
lol this made my day
Not necessarily. We'd all be better off without earthly possessions!
Knuckles9T5 took me a minute..lol
Final lines of book: "Because after three days short of eighteen years, I can finally announce that I am too exhausted and too confused and too lonely to keep fighting, and if only out of desperation or even laziness I love my son. He has five grim years left to serve in an adult penitentiary, and I cannot vouch for what will walk out the other side. But in the meantime, there is a second bedroom in my serviceable apartment. The bedspread is plain. A copy of Robin Hood lies on the bookshelf. And the sheets are clean."
Maybe I'm missing something, but if he murdered like a dozen people wouldn't that mean he's basically be in prison for life?
@@ipreferfantasylife8683 Iirc he timed it right so that he wasn't 16 yet. He was given a more lenient sentencing (but had to be transferred to the adult penitentiary after he turned 18)
@@ipreferfantasylife8683 in the book it’s stated that he only got a 7 year sentence after successfully arguing in court that Prozac caused him to murder his classmates
@@ipreferfantasylife8683 It definetly depends on the prosecution, the charges, and the judge. He was a minor, first offender, and probably had a decent lawyer, its very likely hed get minimum for a lesser sentencing than certain sentencings and would probably be given less time for good behavior.
I know mothers are sometimes not in control when it comes to loving their children, i get that. But accepting them into your home, after that and knowing that he probably will be the same, is extremely weird to me.
“You don’t look happy.”
“Have I ever?”
This is extremely sad to me. I think even Kevin himself is admitting he has been messed up since the beginning.
I saw the movie as a portrait of a rejected, angry kid trying to make his mom as miserable as himself. He hated that she didn't loved him and she tried SO HARD, but he wanted her to be miserable because she made him miserable. He killed classmates because they bullied him, he killed his sister cuz she did NOTHING but their mom loved her, he killed his father cuz his mother loved him. He didn't kill the mother cuz he wanted her to suffer like he was. Not saying it's OK what he did, he did it out of anger and childish - she asks why he did it and he wasn't sure, because It doesn't matter anymore. he thought her misery would bring him some sort of joy but it doesn't - her love would. And now he's even sadder
best movie line ever ! "Nervous...? Do you know anything about those places...?"
@@nay5783 I don't think his goal was to make her hurt. Ever since he was a baby he was different, the only person in his family that he had traits in common with was his mother. But she was cold and made him think she did not love him, since he had nothing in common with his father or sister he likely felt very alone and unloved. His acts weren't for the sole purpose of making her suffer, it was to get her attention and make her feel truly alone.
right when I heard that I cried
@@nay5783 Maybe, maybe not. Regardless, I think this is a very smart theory.
This movie is so uncomfortable and disturbing. It has an all around unnerving feeling that you just can't shake even when the movie is over and done with. I truly do love this movie but the feeling it gives off is hard to stomach.
Agreed. This and David Fincher movies always make me uncomfortable.
ive been wanting to feel that feeling since worlds greatest dad
Ive not seen the film, but I read the book before the film was released, it made me feel horrible.
Curious how a talented actor can prove his skills in such a short scene. Ezra Miller is an amazing actor.
+Dafty Agreed. That's what I was thinking when I watched this movie.
+Christian 4_Realzz I watched it because I wanted to see if he could be the flash and I found a dark corner that no one likes to look at because it makes you think about life
And underrated.
Ezra Miller is the Flash! You think its possible for Kevin to be screwed up and the reason why he killed his classmates was b/c he hated the school and his parents! This movie was messed up and the mother pays the price for what Kevin did! Reminds me of Columbine April 20 1999 !
And a really good "masturbater"
The bruises on his face, says he's gotten a taste of the real world, is now aware of what awaits him, hindsight is 20/20
Boring comfortable suburbia is easy to rebel against but get a taste of real poverty or get out of comfort zone can be a real shock to the system.
Excellent acting by Ezra Miller and Tilda Swinton. In earlier scenes, his eyes were cold and gleaming with malice. Now they express vulnerability, even love for his mom. A lot of things were said between them just by expression. This scene from the book is just what I imagined, and somewhat better.
Wow
apart from it didn't have the coffin bit! Or the robin hood book waiting for him
Absolutely spot on.
Ben "your scilence says a thousand words"
Love? AHAHAHA. Kevin can't feel love. What his eyes express is fear and desperation because he's about to be shipped to the big boys' playground.
In the book, when she hugs him, his face in kind of buried in her neck for a moment. She thinks she hears him say "I'm sorry, Mom."
As well done as the movie was, the book blows it out of the water. Can't recommend it enough.
pup lover didn't know it was a book! Time to read it omg
He's not sorry. He's trying to compromise because he's afraid of going to a real prison.
Does it really matter?
I did t know there was a book
Yea well the movie took me 2 hours to watch and it didn't require reading.
Sorry, I couldn't resist the Jim Gaffigan line.
I think when he says “I used to think I knew now I’m not so sure”, that the reason he did it was to punish his mother for not loving him, but the fact she keeps showing up for him and still visits shows she does love him, and he sees that now
Spot on.
That was my interpretation. It's honestly a very bittersweet moment in an otherwise very disturbing film.
Not really, in the book she shows up to visit him to show everybody that she is such a good mother and is just playing a part
No he was always evil. Born that way. He loved manipulating her and especially his dad.
Yes,she never bonded with him.She said I'd rather be in France at one point in the movie
I really like how the mother walks into the light at the very end. Didn't really catch that the first time, but I interpret it as her acceptance of Kevin and her new life because of him. After hearing Kevin say he doesn't know why he did it anymore (suggesting that he was/is a sociopath and just wanted her to feel immense pain simply for his own pleasure), it gives her a sense of peace, or closure, with the whole situation and she can finally stop letting it control her life.
I genuinely and honestly think that just simplifying this as labeling him a sociopath is ridiculous and such an oversimplification.
"simply for his own pleasure" is also such an oversimplification.
@@misterbobby8913i think he wanted her attention
@@blue-sq7tj definitely
I think just her sitting in the chair he usually sat at was indication enough that she wasn't going to let him control her life.
"I used to think I knew, now I'm not so sure." Such a hauntingly beautiful line, making me feel sympathy for a murderer, fuck I love this film
Lewis Reeves so do I
Kevin is not just a murderer he is a psychopath. Manipulative, lacking empathy, egocentrism: he has all of that. He also killed a hamster which is a typical pattern psychopaths take before killing humans.
@@sylvia8112 Wow I hope you're joking. Feeling sorry for a fictional character, even one as terrible as Kevin, makes someone evil? What the fuck?
That’s important people’s tendency to dehumanize these people is why it keeps happening. I mean if someone’s just a monster how to u fix that in contrast to actually understanding the psychology so that treatment can be pursued.
@@banquetoftheleviathan1404 Most psychopaths aren't murderers, a minority of them are but most live like normal people. However ALL of them are selfish, narcissistic, manipulative and difficult to be around, that's just in their nature unfortunately
I like the implication that Eva doesn't let Kevin get to her anymore. She CHOOSES to hug him, he doesn't manipulate her. She demands to know why and she sarcastically asks if he's nervous. She forgives him for making her life hell and in doing so she gets a small victory. Kevin can't hurt her anymore, even after taking everything away from her
Best most insightful comment on this page. The highest up votes here have gone to those w/their no experience/understanding of what you saw and the book validates.
You are talking nothing but facts here
This movie makes my stomach churn with something, I can't put my finger on it. I think Kevin was both a bad seed from birth (brain abnormality) and with lack of motherly love and disciplining he grew into the sociopath that murdered his family and peers. I think he kept her alive in part because he wanted her to suffer the pain of having no one to love her, like he felt when he was a child and his mother felt no love for him, and in part because he had a weird erotic love for her for being so much like him. They definitely see each other in themselves, and towards the end, they both start to see the full error of their ways. Eva realizes in part that the blood he shed is very much on her hands for not being the best mother, and Kevin realizes after psychological treatment that he isn't the genius he thought he was but rather a very messed up kid who was just yearning for mommy's attention the entire time. Not to the full extent but it just touches on the beginning of emotion
It seemed more like his lack of love from his mother led him to hate her intensely from an early age which led to an obsession with spiting her at every turn. His life goal was to spite her as much as possible. When he finally did what he knew would break her the most, he was unfulfilled and realized how pointless it was. Hence the line where he says he doesn't even know why he's doing it anymore.
People with the genes to make them antisocial can be productive members of society. This was learned through a scientist's discovery that he had the same brain patterns as serial killers. The difference? In all of his childhood photos, he was smiling. He had a family that loved him and he was not abused. It's neither nature nor nurture, it's nature *AND* nurture. So good parental relationships can make all the difference--not the kind where one side is faked. The kind he could've had with his mother if she'd accepted and loved him with full warmth. A child has to be both seen for who they are, and loved for who they are to be truly healthy.
Whitley Lol Lots of people grow up without motherly love and don't go on a murdering spree! There is no blood on the mothers hand! It's all on him. Cut it with the liberal sympathy
That was my exact reaction! Just cause someone has mommy issues doesn't make him a killer!
Sammi ss No one is blaming the mother for murder. But the mother raised him so she obviously contributed to his character. Try to think before saying something stupid next time.
Ezra Miller should had won all the awards for this performance.
Not really, he just played himself.
@Love, Rick go watch spatnz ezra miller
@@Wis_Domlame ahh joke
@@ilaypipefr6675 11 months old and it still triggered you? It must be pretty effective. Or you are just THAT pathetic. LMFAO!
such a powerful scene
this is one of the best endings to a psychological thriller i've ever seen
The power he derived from bullying and manipulating his mother, is no longer, as his peers are hardened criminals who wont put up with his BS the way his mother did. He might also feel humbled and perhaps even embarrassed at the idea he actually wants and needs his mothers unconditional love in such a torrid time.
Well said
TRUE
Couldn’t have said all this better myself
Ezra Miller definitely took this character to heart these last couple of years
🤣🤣🤣🤣YUP!
We need to talk about Ezra
It' almost like... She is dead inside.
she hates her son, before and after. and he killed her husband and daugher so yea. she is dead inside
Her son also killed other people's kids
She's tired.
Justinhulk yet she stayed with him. i think Kevin somewhat respects her for that, for staying with him even after he ruined her entire life.
Isn’t she?
if you watch the beginning of this movie, it's quite obvious that Kevin's mother resents his existence right from the start. she didn't even want a child, she liked traveling. mother-son bonding is a crucial part of how a boy will act in his prepubescent and pubescent years. and they had absolutely no bond. you can tell how hollow their relationship is when she attempts to take him golfing and then to dinner.
she tried to make the best of it and maybe he sensed her bad energy
just because you used to something doesn't mean you like it
It seemed more like his lack of love from his mother led him to hate her intensely from an early age which led to an obsession with spiting her at every turn. His life goal was to spite her as much as possible. When he finally did what he knew would break her the most, he was unfulfilled and realized how pointless it was. Hence the line where he says he doesn't even know why he's doing it anymore.
Z Hancox Not really an excuse. She tried to bond with him.
Ramofields Fieldamona thats true. There is no excuse for Kevin’s lashing out..especially the way that he did it. But even Tilda Swinton said in an interview that Kevin hated her because she wasn’t mentally ‘there’.
Ramofields Fieldamona Exactly, it’s not a strong argument. Yes she didn’t want to become a mother like most women with unplanned pregnancies, but sensing her bad energy? That’s a stretch. She really made the effort to bond with him but his reaction was too volatile and unusual for a kid. All he had to do was show little affection and he would have won her over for the rest of his life.
Very unnerving film. The scene that stuck with me is the mom ,having lost everything and now living in a modest home near a railroad ,is preparing his bedroom for a return that will probably never happen.
The movie and actors were completely robbed of Oscar nominations. This movie blows me away no matter how many times I watch it!!
I just watched this and it strikes me as important that the mother keeps visiting him in prison, despite their disturbing past, the murders, and the way he continues to try to make things as uncomfortable as possible and antagonistic between them... he hates her, he destroyed everything she loved, but she still comes to visit him... and you get the impression she visits regularly. It would be so much more comfortable and easy for her to stay away and try to forget him.
I think this is important. It could mean many things... possibly this is the only way she has shown devotion / emotional support to him, despite him deserving none of it.
He is afraid of what is to come in the general prison and all he has in the world is his mother, the person he has hated and tried to destroy.
Has she been waiting all this time for a emotional confession? an apology? an acknowledgment of guilt? He gave her nothing in the end, but she was able to accept it, warmly hug him and move on with her life into the white light of the open door...
Pretty profound and disturbing.
Pep Hau I watched this scene and was amazed too at how her kept going back to see him and then it hit me.... She's a mother. I think there's certainly a supernatural bond that forms between a true parent and a child (blood or adopted doesn't matter). This is her some and he's all her has left. I think even though she was initially a bad mother, she truly did try over and over again to connect with him because of the unseen bond that ties them. despite the horrendous things he's done... He. Is. Her. Son. And he may have not given her a verbal apology or sign of remorse but his words "I don't know anymore" are a sign of a step in the right direction .... Lol, I could go on... I'll stop now.
Disagree. She asked him "why", and he actually did confess that he's "not sure anymore", admitting that, no, he didn't "manage everything so well".
And there are deliberate, non-verbal things going on here too. She actually nods affirmatively after he responds to her question, if you look closely. And, when they go to hug, he does it like a little kid with both arms lowered (since the adult will assumedly be taller), even though - ergonomically - he's a bit bigger than she is. And she goes into it w/ both arms on top, as if to smother him w/ a blanket for comfort and security (before he's tossed into the lion's den).
So, IMO that was the "give" and the "accept". He essentially rolls the ball to her, and now she gets to decide whether to acknowledge it or not. He admits (in few words) that he messed up, that he's scared and needs her. She embraces him to show that she's still "there" for him, that he's not alone.
When he admits that he doesn't know why he did it anymore, he's releasing the false narrative that he did it because he hates her so much. That's what he means. He's been using her as a scapegoat for all the emotional torture he puts her through for years, and when he finally abandons that, you can see the relief on her face. That is why she is able to move on.
She keeps visiting him before because even though it is torture to her, she believes he deserves to get the chance to inflict pain on her for all the pain she supposedly inflicted on him. She irons his shirts and keeps his room clean to hurt herself as well. She takes all the slaps and abuse the others hurl at her because she believes it is penance.
At that moment, he finally told her that she hadn't just suffered "enough," she never needed to suffer at all. Why he did this, we can only guess. But it is redemptive for her.
@@_Cujo_ My god how perfectly you described it. This is exactly how I interpret it as well but wouldn't have been able to put it into words.
God I love Tilda Swinton. She’s so underrated. From Constantine to Narnia she’s a true master of her craft and I’m not one to gush about celebrities 👏🏽🙌🏽
IKR? I keep thinking What Would Gabriel Do?
People who casted Kevin deserve raise, and rewards. How did they know?
Hilarious comment
To the people who think that the sadistic and psychopathic Kevin wouldn't have killed if he was disciplined--- You shouldn't expect a cat to act like a mouse, regardless of how you treat it; the cat is a cat. Kevin is a predator and although therapy could've helped he would still lack affective empathy, remorse and would be just as manipulative as he was in the film+book
Rory Gilmartinr making a metaphor an using it as an argument is completely flawed. There’s a reason when doing studies in human behavior they don’t come to a conclusion by just making a metaphor that sounds nice
Aiden R He's right though
Rory Gilmartinr Therapy doesn't help psychopaths, they've been shown to be more likely to reoffend when their given therapy in prison.
LRN_News I’m sorry but my dumb ass is confused on whether Kevin is a psychopath or a sociopath. I know there’s a difference but there’s a lot of comments that kind of blur the lines between the two. Please explain-
Those people just want to be edgy...ignore them.
I was dreading what was going to happen to his sister and her death left me sad, but him killing his father was far more disturbing...
I was partially pleased because it was like pops finally got to see the crazy come out, but how disturbingly sociopathic is it to kill the person who loved you and praised you and hung out with you since childhood.
That makes me feel haunted.
The ending where she was walking through the hallway had me near tears. I could just see her just seeing all the past with him, to diapers to murder. He's a cold, manipulative kid but he was her's. This film is brilliant.
Ezra miller is the greatest actor of his age. He conveyed everything with his eyes! Respect...
Poulomi Hari True! I was literally getting an entire monologue from his eyes alone.
Lol. This aged well. Maybe he played it so well Bc he’s similar irl
No acting required. So it would seem.
It's like casting Ted Bundy and saying "Now, I need you to play a cold hearted psychotic killer, do you think you can do that for me?".
He is but he's so problematic now
The only time we see him vulnerable. He's probably not gonna survive a maximum security prison, at least not without damage, and he and his mother know it, which is why she hugs him goodbye even though she hates him. Sociopaths want to see others suffer but are usually ill-equipped for suffering themselves.
Jennyfisch how would he not though? They don't let people run around killing eachother in a maximum security prison
Cheryl Lynne different time period, jeffery was left unsupervised with other inmates. From what i understand, they don't let prisoners especially of the extremely dangerous variation just wander around with other inmates without supervision. I don't know why they let people like him wander around other inmates in the first place. Luckily he became docile, or he couldve killed more people in the prison
@@rikifromplanetk8305 Ohhh man you don't get it. This kid has two options, either:
1) you're out in the commons w/ other prisoners who - for the most part - find murderers like this reprehensible, and who will physically and/or sexually brutalize him to no end.
2) if the brutalization is too much to endure, he can cause some trouble to get himself locked up in isolation. That would be safe, but people lose their minds being locked in in a what is essentially box with no human contact 23 hours out of the day.
Prisoners spend plenty of time unsupervised or minimally-supervised. How many guards do you think they have staffing these places? And do you think the guards are going to be looking out for people like this? Unless a knife fight breaks out in the open, guards aren't going to get involved in the petty day-to-day antics and violence among various groups of prisoners.
@@rikifromplanetk8305 Also - "different time period"? Jeffrey Dahmer was killed in the mid-90's. There hasn't some vast update to the way these places are generally run in the last 20 years.
It's not like Dahmer's conviction was 100 years ago.
tbh both are sociopaths which makes it interesting
The most heartbreaking thing about this scene is that even though Kevin is responsible for completely destroying his mother's life she's so lonely that she needs him in her life because he is the only person in the world who she can talk to.
FierceONeill which is probably why he killed the dad and the daughter. Notice right after he overhears the dad say that he wants custody over Kevin and to discuss the divorce, he kills students at his school then he kills the only people that the mom loved. She resented him early on cause she wanted to be a world traveler not a mother and Kevin was a constant reminder that Eva could never pursue her life-goal dreams. So in a twisted way Kevin yearned for the attention of his mother. The only way he seemed to get it was through acting out so she would break his arm and kill the ones she loved. Now all she has is Kevin. He killed the dad and daughter to maybe get some sort of victory over his mom to make her either hate him more or give attention.
OKAY STOP WITH THE POEMS
@@blvckdoll omg you’re right !!
I don't think that's precisely the case. the final scene came off that Eva finally is moving on with her own life. She isn't cutting ties with Kevin as she is forever connected to him... But she simply finds some solace she needed to move on. Why Kevin did what he did... and in the end, even he doesn't know why he did it. Maybe she already knows but needed to hear it from Kevin himself.
She leaves a space for Kevin to come home to, if and when he eventually leaves that prison. But she's ready to move on with her life by stepping into the light. These visits will no longer be as common, though its likely she'll still visit him in prison. to show she still loves her son... Not the monster that killed people.
@@Polomance862in the book, she mentions he has five more years, so I think he will leave the prison. That is... if the other guys don't get him first.
their first GENUINE conversation, so powerful!!
I read Roger Ebert's review of this movie last night and I really wish they would've kept in the line that he mentioned was cut from this scene: Eva asks Kevin why he didn't kill her, and he responds, "You don't want to kill your audience."
Wow, that should've been left in.
In the book she asked him “why didn’t you shoot me?” And he replied “because you hated me, and they loved me (referring to his sister and dad)”
No he didn't.
I don't think he did? Iirc he said something along the lines of "you don't shoot the audience."
I didn’t even know there’s a book
he said when putting on a show you don't shoot the audience
You “people” can’t read.
I like that Ezra basically played himself in this movie
he''s a sexual offender, not a murderer. i know he's a horrible person but murder? rude as
@@jasmine-kg7dd Hybristophiliac
And now we need to talk about Ezra.
Kevin has so much hatred for his mom since he felt/ thought he was never loved by her. I believe that there's something about mothers that makes an exceptional bond to their sons and daughters, that is so innate even if the baby is still in the womb. I feel since birth, their 'bond' was dull or non existent at all with the cause of her mom having depression afterwards. This has affected their relationship through the years. His hate roots from the very beginning that grew over the time which he himself could not explain. All he knows is that he despise her mother. The same way goes with his mother, she felt nothing but pain and regret whenever she sees him. He's like a living image of her broken dreams. They somewhat have this mutual feeling of hatred for each other but they themselves, couldn't figure it out.
But a mother is a mother, they are capable of giving love that's unconditional and incomparable to anyone. So despite everything, in the end, Tilda still accepts him and stays with him, even if there's self blame and her life ruined by his son, she's still there at the very end. While on the other hand, Kevin having been in jail for quite some time, he then finally realize that what he thought he knew (hating his mother since birth) is now in a different course. With all the things he has done, all the means he took to subject pain and suffering to her mother because of his hatred, she's still there for her. When he thought what he has done can make her hate him so much more, it's the other way around. He saw that no matter what he does, his mother is still his mother and will always love him no matter what.
Fanny Alexander if a child can't love the one that gave him life, I feel he's incapable of truly loving anyone.
Good points but damn don't forget about fathers.
Psychopaths are unable to love in the same way we do. Their love is based on loyalty and trust and I think thats what Kevin has for his mother. Through the years he was always an asshole to her but she never gave up on him. I think thats why he didnt kill her. He couldn't, He knew she is the only person who always truly stood by him while knowing what a monster he was and appreciated it.
angie sanders A child never asked to be given life. A child never asked to be put in this world. They don't owe anyone anything. And parents can be abusive, even emotionally abusive, that can subconsciously affect the development of a child's brain. Kevin's mother hated her son from the start, and you all know it. This caused Kevin to spite her mom, because of the disconnect between them and the lack of love from his mom.
Celestial Dragon that’s very true. But he still a bad seed😅 and his mom tried really hard to love him despite everything.
"I am nobody's child", that one song summarizes the entire movie! Ezra
So damn handsome, hah. Also, what a talented actor; he transitions from a mix of soul-less/dontgiveafuck/resentful eyes to a totally vulnerable expression; in the end he's essentially crying without actually physically crying. And these two finally have a genuine moment together. Which is a really great payoff for the audience. Well, at least the empathetic, non-psychopathic members of the audience who are starved for just a little bit of warmth by this point, haha. Beautiful.
"I used to think I knew. But now not so sure"
This means a lot. Glad they cut the other one.
What was the other one? (Sorry for 3 year delay)
@@sal6695when she asked why he didn't shoot her, he replied something along the lines of not shooting your audience (referring her)
I watched this whole movie finally and I literally broke out crying as soon as they hugged
"I used to think I knew but now I'm not so sure" Is one of my favourite lines from the movie. it tells us that he was going through some hard time in his teenage years when he did what he did. But now when he is getting older and becoming an adult he now sees how pointless his actions were and clearly regretting them, and how he just really want his mommy but can't...
I dont think he suddenly 'wants his mommy'. I think he came to realise that she was the only hook he had left after hunting dosn any person that couldve cared. She is the last place that means hope after the next years in prison and he knows that after jail he can come live with her. Another form kf his ongoing manipulation. He wouldve killed his mother as well jf he didnt want her to suffer that much, now this turns out good for him again as the mother really has a place for him at her house.
I feel like this scene means a lot. Just seeing the way they both are towards each other after the terrible things he did, and seeing how he is slowly changing, and realizing how vulnerable he is. And she shows how she loves him in a way, because of the hug. She cares for him, and wishes that she would have raised him better.
Tilda Swinton did AMAZING in this movie!!!!
I agree
10 years: Ezra Miller is probably heading to prison
Better get ready for some cheekbusting! 😅
@@mridlon1634 ,,,he's done that already !
We need to talk about, Ezra Miller!
The best talk is to stop watching his movies.
I felt like the ending served as poetic justice for the audience. The antagonist (Kevin) who was a douchebag throughout the film is now terrified of the unknown in this last scene. his hair has been shaved off, there are scratches on his face from someone who probably attacked him, he’s heading to an adult prison soon and there is nothing he can do to fix those grim choices he made. The only person he has left is his mom whom he hated so much and if She wanted to, could stop visiting him all together.
I feel sorry for him. And people will say that I shouldn't. But I do. I feel deeply sorry for him. This is a heart-wrenching scene! Superbly acted! The way she hugged him at the end, it makes me wanna cry.
I feel the exact same way. I would never do anything that Kevin did, but I feel that I am a lot like him in a way, and his relationship with his mother, feels exactly like mine. But I love my mother more, just ad much as she does. But the way I express my feelings around her, are really similar to the way Kevin "expresses" his own around her. I feel like I have a lot of problems, including autism and aspbergers,high anxiety, ADHD, and depression. And their relationship is really similar to ours.
***** Are you talking about me?
***** You don't know shit. My mom is not an atheist and neither am I. We are actually a Christian family.
Murderers lose their rights as soon as they get caught.
***** Yes you did. You said websurfing and YOU. Don't lie, you said it.
3:00 you can see that he is just about to start saying something when the guard says "Your time's up." I wonder what it would have been.
I listened to the audiobook. I recommend it!!
Ezra today is living up to his Kevin persona
*their
@@kelsiemcveety999*nobody gives a fuck, dweeb
"I used to think I knew. Now I'm not so sure"
I don't think this is just about the massacre. Its about everything Kevin has ever done and he's just now realizing that maybe there just isn't a reason he's the way he is. Like he says himself. "There is no point. That's the point"
This is one of those scenes that I don’t think gets enough credit. Everything about it can breed different experiences from it and I’ve heard so many great arguments for what was happening in Kevin’s head. You can feel everything and everytime I got back I try and watch it from a different perspective I’ve heard of.
He'll never give a straight answer and/or the real answer, Mom. That's how he retains power over you and keeps you unbalanced.
He wanted to punish her, let her know that she fucked up with him.
I really liked this scene. It gave some hope that Kevin and his mother would see a better future.
Harvey Dent He killed the family to make her suffer
Lol no it doesn’t, Kevin does not want that.
Hebrew Anon if you read the book, the mom told him he could live with her when he gets out of prison and then they both hug and apologize to each other.
Ur joking right
In the book it says that he would be freed at 23 and that she finally realized she loved him and will always have a spare room for him with the robin hood book on the side of the bed
The fact that this dude is crazy in real life makes me wonder if he was acting or just being himself
We're going to find out many actors like Ezra r extremely dark, soulless monsters who should've NEVER been idolized to begin with. This scene was hauntingly prophetic.
@@rebelfighter5249 the wick never sleep. I’ve been taught at a young age to never idolizes these ppl most if not all of them are devil worshiper
This feels so relevant since Miller is actually Kevin this whole time. Haunting film.
One of the most redemptive moments in cinema out there.
Unless you count the multiple homicides
Not redemption, acceptance
The acting in this scene is phenomenal. Almost no dialogue is needed
+Also the flash and the ancient one
The dialogue isn't great. A lot of clunky exposition delivered in the first couple of minutes.
That is one loyal mother.
Talk about art imitating life.
Few films truly disturb me and haunt my psyche for several days after seeing them. “Requiem for a Dream”, “Incendies”, “The Secret in Their Eyes” (Spanish version) and this one come to mind. Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller have two of the most expressive faces I’ve ever seen and say more with their eyes than most actors do with a soliloquy. I remember how tough this film was to watch from the first viewing.... I may come back to it sometime, but I’m in no hurry.
This aged pretty well with how Ezra Miller turned out irl. Soon he's gonna be in a scene like this, finally afraid for the first time after he has been allowed to do all the things he did for too long.
*they
@@kelsiemcveety999 shut up
and Ezra Miller grew up to be a real life menace to the public
*Seems like life imitated art. Ezra is heading for an ending like this in prison and it disturbs me to know what kind of person Ezra has become in real life. Hes a monster sadly and the truth is coming out and getting worse day by day. Life is so weird*
What I think makes this scene so good is that I think both know what’s going to happen to him.
His mother says he’ll “be out in a couple of years, but it’s said in almost a taunting way, because they both know that Kevin is going to experience the upmost brutality in prison.
Her hug she gives him is her saying goodbye to him, not her forgiving him or anything of the sort.
Both of them know that he’s a dead man walking, and he’s going to be killed in a far more violent and twisted way than Kevin ever inflicted on anyone else.
Hopefully knowing that finally gave her some comfort.
Such a mult-layerd, complex film. Kept me thinking for days. Tilda and Ezra were so intertwined, it was hard to define who was who at times.
I gave it the highest rating. So many film goers forgo pithy films such as this because the subject matter is disturbing, so what, it's the acting technique that matters and in this case it was beyond superb.
Ezra Miller is one of *the* most scarily talented actors on earth, hands down. Seeing them share a scene with the equally talented Tilda Swinton is downright chilling. I'm amazed the sheer concentrated charisma in the room didn't set something on fire.
Im a parent myself and i would probably react the same way she did, Im gald we tell stories throught the the parents killer's eyes, it is almost never done!
We need to talk about Ezra…
People are over thinking the ending.
He was just a kid who took everything for granted, he was angry and drowning in his teenage fazes, getting mad at his sister for stupid little things and bullying her cause she was getting attention he never got from his parents and envied her for it.
He didn't realize what he had until it was gone, and in his case, he took it away.
At the end, he finally stepped outside his box and saw what he did, saw there are coincidences to your actions and being so lost in hatred would blind you from the truth, happiness and family whom always been around you and loves you.
Now, he realizes all this and he is the reason it is all gone, he deeply regrets it, because the place he is now, no one loves him nor care for him.
All he has now is his mom, and not even she can protect him anymore.
When you make your bed, you lay in it.
Little CinnamonRoll I absolutely loved your perspective on what you took from this film but come on dude, he wasn’t a regular teen that was jealous of his baby sister. He showed clear signs of psychopathy from the jump. Come on now.
Finally...an intelligent comment.
Imperfect Gods lol I know right
You’re literally over thinking everything, you wrote all of that but ended up being wrong the minute you made that false claim in the beginning of your sentence
My favourite moment of the whole movie “why did you do it Kevin”?
The look on his face, so subtle but it says so much.
“Two years and you still don’t know why I did what I did?”
Then he says
“I used to think I knew, now I’m not so sure”
Made me laugh when she hugs him.
You can clearly make out how Kevin now wants to stay eternally hooked from his mom, fearful of what's coming on him and how she despises how she still loves him after all he's caused, from that little moment of their hug.
An absolutely devastating story, extracting both an incredible and award-deserving masterpiece of a film and an original, powerful, extremely well-written and all-time favorite novel.
They should have just called it “We need to talk about Ezra.”
That hug at the end was so telling......as mother, I must carry this burden of the monster that came from my womb.
I cant believe they both weren’t nominated for an Oscar. Tilda was phenomenal
This film should be retitled "We need to talk about Ezra "
Kevin has no sense of self. He only feels "real" when seen by others, which is why he values (not loves) his mother and despises the rest of his family: his mother is (at least, initially) the only one who "sees" him as he is. His acts of cruelty are twisted bids for attention and connection, forcing her to see him and respond to him in an authentic way (like when she snaps and breaks his arm as a child) instead of the superficial act she puts on the rest of the time. In the final passages of the book, Eva acknowledges the irony that it is through his violence that Kevin finally forces his mother to love him.
"But it must be possible to earn a devotion by testing an antagonism to its very limit, to bring people closer through the very act of pushing them away. Because after three days short of eighteen years, I can finally announce that I am too exhausted and too confused and too lonely to keep fighting, and if only out of desperation or even laziness I love my son."
The entire film was difficult to watch, but it was also tragically beautiful. The end makes me cry every time I see it. It’s the first time you see Kevin show any type of emotion for his mother. Getting has ass kicked in baby prison humbled in and I bet he wanted his mother. ❤
I do not think I could love that unconditionally!
Wtf are you talking about?
This film is so underrated and brilliant. Tilda Swinton being a fantastic actress, Ezra Miller (who we now realize was typecast) did a convincingly evil job, John C. Reilly in a rare serious role, Lynne Ramsay being a phenomenal director who clearly knows how to work with talent (having collaborated with Joaquin Phoenix as well as Swinton in her films), Jonny Greenwood doing the score… perfection
'How would I not know the context when I am the context.' Ugh that line is perfect for Kevin. I know this might not be true but I feel when he overheard that conversation between his mother and father it made him pursue murder of his father, sister and peers (I know it was in spite of his mother). I haven't read the book so I am off the mark but that line was amazing given what was happening and how Kevin was.
Why does no one ever mention the father's role in this. Yes, Keven acted differently around him but he wasn't blind. He went about the house like a ghost. Every time this woman tried to talk to him about Keven he dismissed her. The father was not present and by being that way he gave Kevin permission to continue to act out in any way he wanted.
This movie is slowly becoming the Ezra Miller biopic
Unconditional love the greatest power when you give it away
we need to talk about kevin's haircut
Now I know why Ezra did so well playing this character
I just got done watching this film today. I wish I would've read the book first but, oh well... the movie itself is something that really digs deep into a reality people cannot see and have not seen and for me that was powerful enough. What strikes me the most is the acting from everyone in the film. They really pushed that inner mind barrier that you always keep covered from the real world. That's why I love films like these because, really, if you knew the answer than what's the purpose? The suspense? That hole that was just plunged through your heart? Boy what an imagination can do to you. Oh this life...
OKAY STOP WITH THE POEMS
I'm sorry but I have to say this his jawline is 💯💯😜
3:17 that's always gives me chills
The amount of time it takes Eva to actually speak speaks volumes. He finally looked at Her though, probably as he felt she was finally looking at Him . Same as when they were sat on the floor of their big new Home . Looked at each other, said nothing and both looked away again in sync