Categorically Allegorical

In a blog post a couple of years ago I’d shared some examples of movies that had deeper meaning than what they were about on the surface. Most, of which, were a surprise to me. Films like

and had directors that had something to say or share by way of allegory. Perspective is a powerful tool for growing and gaining understanding, so it’s cool to discover these from time to time, so I’ve decided to share some more. Some of the following aren’t as much as a surprise, but some still may be.

Aliens (1986) : The Vietnam war

• In 1979, Ridley Scott’s –as shared in my 2022 post–was an allegory for rape . The 1986 sequel had a different director, \James Cameron, who saw definite correlations of his story with the Vietnam war. Some of these are 1) the high degree of confidence the US marines had in defeating an enemy that was nowhere near as advanced in technology and warfare, 2) the soldiers traveling a great distance to fight said enemy, 3) the adversary having a better sense of the geography and environment than the attackers, and 4) the Americans end up fleeing for their own lives. However, it could be that it was the war Cameron’s direction more than being an intended allegory. I say this because I really don’t know all the details. Also, I am hoping it was unintentional to depict a nation’s people as slimy, murderous monsters. 

The Babadook (2014) : Mental illness

• I’d heard that this was a great horror movie, but I thought that just meant it was scary, had good acting, cool effects, etc. But it was the powerful allegory that made this one great. It has no blood-n-guts nor demonic elements, which may be a relief to some. Horror can be a perfect genre when talking about mental illness. Yet, The Babadook is not merely a movie saying that mental health is scary. It’s a very hopeful movie and I highly recommend it. 

Get Out (2017) : The African American experience.

• This one is more well known to be an allegory, because at the time of its release the parallels were discussed at length by moviegoers and movie podcast voices. It really is a remarkable movie, and identifying all of the intended symbols—the ones I caught and the ones I missed—was as rich of an experience as watching the movie itself.

They Live (1988) : Corruption

• You’ve most likely seen the often referenced shot of Nada finding sunglasses that allows him to see the ugliness of what appeared to be the glamourous people and media that dominated its society. John Carpenter had a very specific policy and platform of a real politician, but the allegory works on just about any vantagepoint of modern society. We often don’t realize how controlled we are by brands and messages, and mostly to our own disservice.

The Matrix (1999) : The Trans Experience

• Lilly Wachowski, one of two sisters who made this classic action film, has said that this wasn’t written necessarily as a parable about being a trans person. However, the sisters were closeted trans people at the time of filming, and both their writing and direction of the movie made direct parallels with their experience and perspective.

District 9 (2009) : Refugees

• Again, the symbolism and correlation between the movie and its hidden meaning were hard to miss in 2009, and even more so now. This is one of the hardest subjects for us to talk about today, and most of us do a great job avoiding doing so. The movie doesn’t necessarily offer a solution. Viewers are left to chew on those complicated feelings and thoughts they may have with subjects like immigration, borders, and foreign wars.

Fight Club (199) : Consumerism

• Actually, this movie is an allegory for so much more than this—from capitalism to adolescence to patriarchy. It’s not an easy watch at all, but it is a masterfully made commentary that has made significant contributions to dialogue about our culture.

And our movie of the week also has an allegory that is hard to miss, and it’s handled very well. I can’t speak as intelligently to all the connections as a female viewer could, but the message comes across loud and clear. If you haven’t seen it yet, you may want to take it in soon. You can find it on Disney+.

Congratulations . This is your week.

Best Actress:

Rosalie Chiang as Meilin in

Best Actor: Jim Gaffigan as Lorenzo Paguro in

Best Quote: “Don’t worry, they’re fine. You can’t crush a soul here. That’s what life on Earth is for.” – Tina Fey as 22 in

I wanted to make a top 10 of movies with “red” in the title, or movies set in Toronto, but I was having a hard time with either one. So here’s my last 10 top 10:

1. Scenes from a Marriage (1973) – Ingmar Bergman movie, Sweden ✭✭½

2. La Strada (1954) – Black and white Frederico Fellini movie, Italy ✭✭½

3. Back to Black (2024) – Biopic about Amy Winehouse ✭✭✭½

4. If (2024) – John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming ✭✭✭½

5. Silence (2016) – Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson ✭✭✭½

6. 21 Jump Street (2012) – Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Holly Robinson, Brie Larson ✭✭✭½

7. Bigger Than Life (1956) – James Mason, Barbara Rush ✭✭✭✭

8. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) – Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Owen Teague, William H. Macy ✭✭✭✭

9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) – Anya Taylor Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke ✭✭✭✭

10. Inside Out 2 (2024) – Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri ✭✭✭✭