13 Comments
User's avatar
Nick Rittner's avatar

This critique of a goofy sex movie makes me want to throw myself into gothic literature.

Miri's avatar

my main goal writing this

Nick Rittner's avatar

i feel like I got hit by the truck that makes you want to read wuthering heights

Elias Christian's avatar

this is so damn good

allyson.'s avatar

i genuinely look forward to every piece you write, and this is no exception. as a gothic enthusiast, i struggle to find anything modern shelved under the genre enticing anymore.

rachel chin's avatar

this was really incredible— you captured why everything appearing as/appealing to gothic doesn't quite feel like... well much of anything

Gilbert Hennessey's avatar

I have to say, you are a great writer. Best and most intelligent consideration of Fennell's film I've read yet.

David's avatar

so well done. thank you for writing this.

Miri's avatar

thank you! love your writing

Shawn Cremer's avatar

Hooked and riveted from the first line through every turn and link you make, Miriam. Truly excellent criticism

Michelle C. Funk's avatar

I hope that, if I ever make something of truly dubious value, the people who hate and critique it are so brilliant and so motivated by their passions that they create the kind of waves of genius analysis that this apparently awful movie has. I have watched so many fantastic YouTube essays (Princess Weekes a particular highlight). This resurgence of interest in the Gothic and its applications in our time is very needed and phenomenal and your piece is essential reading!

Tony Christini's avatar

Very much so: "Too bad our art is frictionless, our Gothic defanged, our literature navel-gazing."

But not this: take a look at Agnes Smedley's rending Daughter of Earth, for a kind of revolutionary gothic, directly relevant to the present day:

https://mdbrady.wordpress.com/2020/02/25/daughter-of-the-earth-by-agnes-smedley/

also, Most Revolutionary:https://fictiongutted.substack.com/p/most-revolutionary-table-of-contents