By Melissa Coy
Ari Aster reveals Charlie was Paimon from the moment she was born. Was the demon dormant in her body, or was the real Charlie buried within?
There is little to no news about what director Ari Aster's new film Disappointment Blvd. will be about, but if it's anything like his other two movies—Midsommar and Hereditary—audiences are in for a wild ride. Other than the announcementthat Joaquin Phoenix of Jokerwill play the lead, nothing else has been said about Aster's upcoming movie except that it has the possibility of being a four-hour "nightmare comedy," which is something the director has expressed an interest in making. It's hard to imagine Ari Aster making something other than a drama told through a horror lens, given how successful his vision has been so far, especially with Hereditary.
Combining horror and comedy, Ari Aster runs the risk of making something borderlineB-Horror. But if anyone is going topull off a dark comedy horror film, it mayas well be dream team Phoenix and Aster. Audiences already know Aster is capable ofmaking things that might otherwise be considered silly not appear cheap or out of place. Aster had control over the comedic elements in his firsttwo films (both horror movies), and even though Charlie's tongue clicking tick might have been laughableor too out-of-place comedic in the hands of an unskilled director, Aster was able to make it not seem like a joke. Because Aster is able to control what feelings the audience has skillfully, if he had wanted this tick to be funny, it would have been.
RELATED: This Star Trek Inspired Episode Of Black Mirror Has A Terrifying Ending
Instead, Charlie's tick seems very sad and inspires sympathy from the audience, especially given the situation and knowledge that the family members each have their own walls up, as none but Charlie seems to care for the grandmother's passing. The tongue click isalso heavily ingrained into the audience's memory, as it is such a specific sound. Ari Aster has hidden a ton of clues and details about the true meaning of the film and nature of the demon Paimon throughout the movie. Charlie's tongue clicking is most definitely not just a thing she does, but another clue about the story that is told secretly.
Ari Aster confirmed to Variety that Charlie, very soon after she was born, was displaced by the demon Paimon. The cult had been trying to summon Paimon for many years, but Charlie was the first successful host.Answering the question of was there ever a Charlie or was she Paimon from birth, in his own words Aster said,"From the moment she’s born, I mean, there’s a girl that was displaced, but she was displaced from the very beginning." This means that Charlie was born and almost immediately possessed by Paimon. So was the demon living dormant in Charlie, waiting to be transferred to Peter, or did Paimon have complete control over Charlie and all her actions?
Aster said that Hereditaryis "a story about a long-lived possession ritual told from the perspective of the sacrificial lamb," the lambs in this case would be Charlie, Peter, and Annie with Steve as collateraldamage.It seems like Paimon had control over Charlie completely, which is why she is the only one who cares about the grandmother's passing. Paimon had controlover everything, everything except one small sound that could escape her mouth: aclick of the tongue. This suggests that Charlie was buried deep within her own body and was helpless. The sound of the tongue clicking was the only thing Charlie was able to make—a futile effort as no one could have known its meaning to help her.
Charlie is being suppressed by the demon. The demon even mocks Charlie's small and weak sound by recreating it frequently. It appears that chocolate really is the Devil's food, as it seems like Paimon's favorite snack. Although he'll take any chocolate he can get, chocolate bars seem to be the go-to. The snapping sound the chocolate makes when Charlie takes a bite sounds intentionally similarto the sound of herclicking, perhaps showing how Paimon is taunting the trapped, real Charlie.
Ari Aster wrote Hereditary as a reflection on some of his own past traumas, and the story was initially supposed to be a drama about mental illness and grief before he saw the potential for a horror movie. Another theory could be that Charlie's tongue clicking is just the sound Charlie makes when she sees or experiences something unpleasant that she has a hard time understanding. The clicking is a way to suppress her inability to deal with emotions—the click signifying thatCharlie's mind hasbottled up and compartmentalized heremotions and thoughts she hasn't dealt with. But the other theory is a lot more fun and scary.
It makes sense that the clicking is actually Charlie crying out for help, because when Annie forces Charlie to go to the party (something Paimon and the cult wanted to have happen) sheis repeatedly heard making the clicking sound several times in the back seat as Peter drives. This could mean Charlie knew what the plan was since Paimon was in her mind, and was desperately trying to get Peter's attention so he would not take her to the party where Paimon would intentionally eat the cake filled with nuts—causing Charlie to suffer from an allergic reaction and be too far out in the middle of nowhere to receive medical help.
One last wild theory about the tongue clicking could signify that the demon Paimon is actually part bird. Charlie's clicking sounds a lot like the clucking of a bird. Charlie (who was actually Paimon) is seen cutting the head off of a bird after it is drawn to her (him), and it actually flies into a window so hard that itkills itself. The shrine Charlie makes that mirrors the final image of the movie contains a figure in it with a bird head (the same one Charlie cut off earlier) and crown on its head. This bird head figure is supposed to represent Paimon, with the other two headless figures bowing to him. Were birds acting strange around Charlie because the demon Paimon was actually some kind of bird god demon?
MORE: This Is Why Twilight's Baseball Scene Is So Iconic
As a seasoned enthusiast with a deep understanding of the intricate details woven into films, particularly those of Ari Aster, I bring forth a wealth of knowledge to dissect the hidden layers in his creations. In this instance, the article discusses Ari Aster's revelation about the character Charlie in the film "Hereditary" being Paimon from the moment of her birth.
Aster's adept control over the audience's emotions and his meticulous placement of subtle clues add richness to the narrative. Charlie's distinctive tongue clicking, initially a potential source of comedic interpretation, is masterfully transformed into a poignant element. Aster's ability to make this seemingly trivial detail evoke sympathy rather than laughter speaks volumes about his directorial prowess.
The crucial revelation lies in Aster's confirmation, as reported by Variety, that Charlie was displaced by the demon Paimon very soon after her birth. The cult's prolonged attempt to summon Paimon finally finds success with Charlie becoming the first successful host. This revelation sparks a fascinating question: Was the demon dormant within Charlie, or did Paimon exercise complete control over her?
Aster clarifies that "from the moment she’s born, there’s a girl that was displaced, but she was displaced from the very beginning." This implies that Charlie was born and promptly possessed by Paimon. The film, according to Aster, unfolds as "a story about a long-lived possession ritual told from the perspective of the sacrificial lamb." In this case, Charlie, along with her family members, becomes a part of a ritualistic possession orchestrated by Paimon.
Charlie's unique ability to click her tongue, a seemingly insignificant detail, gains significance in this context. It becomes the only aspect of her individuality that the demon does not control. The article suggests that this could be a desperate cry for help, with Charlie attempting to convey her distress through a sound that, unfortunately, remains misunderstood by those around her.
Aster's creative decisions extend to using chocolate as a symbolic element, with Paimon seemingly favoring it. The snapping sound of Charlie biting into a chocolate bar parallels the clicking of her tongue, hinting at a subtle taunting by the demon.
Moreover, the article delves into theories regarding Charlie's tongue clicking. One theory suggests that it might be a manifestation of her inability to cope with unpleasant emotions, while another proposes a more sinister interpretation—that Charlie knew of the cult's plan and was attempting to communicate her distress.
The wild speculation about Paimon having avian attributes adds an additional layer of complexity to the narrative. Charlie's bird-like clicking, the decapitation of a bird, and the shrine with a bird-headed figure all contribute to this intriguing theory.
In summary, Ari Aster's meticulous storytelling, nuanced characterizations, and incorporation of subtle details make "Hereditary" a cinematic experience laden with hidden meanings and thought-provoking theories, showcasing his mastery in blending horror with psychological depth.
