Theory

**SPOILERS** For The Power of the Dog

Every year, I watch all the movies that are nominated for the best picture Oscar. Last night, I watched The Power of The Dog, and wow, do I have some feelings. 

First of all, I have to say that I wanted to love this movie. I freaking love the Oscars, and I love the three actors who were nominated for the film. Kirsten Dunst is an actress I've adored since she played Amy March, Jesse Plemmons was fabulous in Breaking Bad, and holy crap, do I love Benedict Cumberbatch. When he didn't win the Oscar for The Imitation Game, I almost cried. Anyway, I sat down last night to watch, expecting to enjoy TPoTD and be wowed. Not even close. 

In a nutshell, I hated the movie. A two-hour and eight-minute movie somehow felt like six. Intentional? Fine. It parallels what I'm sure was a hard and long and tiring existence in 1920s Montana. But that's not the problem. Or the reason I felt like I needed four showers after that movie.

Peter. Oh my God, creepy, Jeffrey Dahmer Peter. He starts off with a voiceover saying that he is responsible for his mother's happiness and has to do anything to protect it. Right off the bat, I was creeped out. 

When we first see JDP, he gives off vibes like that emo kid from Harry Potter- Fantastic Beasts- and maybe you could root for him. And then, cue the hula hoop. Forget it; message received loud and clear. This guy has serial killer vibes, big time. 

If you haven't seen the movie, again, **SPOILERS** The audience knows that JDP is into killing and dissecting animals and eventually kills Phil. We're supposed to think that Phil is the first person JDP kills; I think different.  

I know JDP claims to Phil that his father died of suicide via hanging. I think it's a lie; Peter killed him. 

Why would we accept anything JDP says? He's a master manipulator and liar. He knows how to kill. He's obsessed with his mother's happiness. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to assume that he could've killed his father. 

When JDP visits his father's grave and switches out the old paper flowers for new ones, I think this is proof his dad was his first victim. In some cultures, when making paper flowers, it was custom to take apart a real flower, petal by petal, and trace it to make a template. JDP presents paper flowers to his dad, symbolizing his dad was the template. He knows how to kill now; the dad was just the first victim. 

I also think the scene where they show JDPs medical books in the backseat of his mother's car is telltale. There's a human skull on top, and JDP says, "those were dad's medical books."...and perhaps dad's skull? 

Regardless if anyone agrees or thinks this theory is bonkers, wow, is this not a movie for me. In fact, when it was over, I had to call my godmother and talk her ear off for half an hour to tell her how much I didn't like it!

And, just because I'm apparently obsessed with not liking this movie (though, to be honest, I love the themes of the patriarchy being taken down), here are some alternative titles I thought of: "Glorifying Animal Harm on a Big Budget" or "Jeffrey Dahmer: The Wild Wild West Version" or "2 Hours of Benedict Cumberbatch Doing Overtly Sexual Things" or "Bronco Henry: Best Porn Name Ever?"

I hope I like the rest of my Oscar movies more than this one, or, at the very least, I hope I don't become as obsessed with the rest because I have six more to go and don't have the time!