#my favorite film of all time. unbeatable in catharsis in validation in ENTERTAINMENT

[eosofspades]

next gen (2018) is the best movie ever for a lot of reasons but the biggest, most integral one that i've never seen anybody actually address before, is that it is fundamentally a story about being a very young child who is suffering so much emotional pain and the experience of that pain not being taken seriously by anyone around you. mai's anger issues and crushing loneliness are absolutely integral to any reading of the story's themes, and not only is her pain a driving force, but it is validated by the narrative. the story doesn't mock her for having "daddy issues," she's not just a whiny or dramatic little girl; she is ABSOLUTELY justified in feeling lonely and hopelessly angry, and the movie goes out of its way to show you things from HER perspective. and at the end, the "lesson" she had to learn wasn't that she was WRONG about how she viewed her mother and her situation - in fact, her MOM is the one who has to learn that she was mistreating her daughter and hurting her.

the movie also takes so much care to honestly and realistically show how that loneliness can manifest in the most destructive of ways - mai is ALLOWED to be angry, she is allowed to be rude and abrasive and destructive, and while it is portrayed as a problem and something that needs to be addressed, the narrative never BLAMES her for it - because she is a child reacting in a real, emotional, raw, human way to her trauma and pain.

what i'm trying to say is i have never seen a film before that takes a child's feelings of misery as something so valid. the narrative NEVER condescends to her character, it never comes across as patronizing. and the movie isn't about having to forgive the people who hurt you, but instead it's about the importance of not letting that pain stop you from making NEW memories and better relationships. it's so real and RAW and full of love and ultimately, it is about how even one person looking at you and saying "i see your pain, and i'm not going anywhere" and meaning it can be enough to save you.

#literally this movie is so fucking good. go watch it right now #my favorite film of all time. unbeatable in catharsis in validation in ENTERTAINMENT #and that's not even getting into the animation or soundtrack bc my GOD both of these things are BANGING #and the ANGST. ohhhh my god this movie will rip your fucking heart out #like. how do i actually describe it. this movie is about being a mentally ill child from the child's perspective #any other movie would have had mai need to learn the lesson that her parents were doing what they thought was right or some bullshit #but nope! next gen says your mom IS doing a bad job! and you deserve to be angry about it!! you are right to be angry about your #dad fucking off when you were 4!!! that DOES suck for you and it DOES suck that nobody fucking LISTENS #this is a kid screaming for someone; anyone to listen to her or care about her pain and then she meets 7723 and he DOES #AND ITS A MOVIE ABOUT HOW MENTAL ILLNESS CAN MAKE YOU PUSH PEOPLE AWAY AND SELF SABOTAGE #AND THE IMPORTANCE OF *LETTING* PEOPLE HELP YOU AND TRUSTING THEM TO HOLD YOUR HEART GENTLY....... #i restate. this movie is so fucking good. go watch it if you haven't i am not asking #mine #next gen #next gen netflix #netflix next gen #long post