When “Requiem for A Dream” Reaches Younger Generations
“Heroin chic” might be over, but the depths of Y2K-based TikTok just might revive it.
Republished from 2023
CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FILM “REQUIEM FOR A DREAM”
If you were to tell me that the photo above, depicting the stunning Jennifer Connelly portraying the victimized character of “Marion Silver,” has become a viral, aesthetic profile picture throughout what’s known as the “femcel” side of TikTok & Instagram, I wouldn’t be surprised for a second. And truly, I would be even less surprised if this character was still idolized by young girls, even after they discover her demise as a heroin-addicted prostitute. Initially, when I first watched Darren Aronofsky’s jaw-dropping, absolutely petrifying magnum opus, I couldn’t stop thinking about how important it would be to require all American high schools to have their students watch this movie, and many other viewers had the same idea, strongly agreeing with the concept. Of course, it would heavily overshadow any sort of lousy, school-mandated, anti-drug campaign brought on by the least motivational speakers you’ve ever seen, mostly limited to police officers (who are never taken seriously by teenagers, anyway) and Nancy Reagan prototypes. The brilliance of this movie & its message captivated my mind constantly; one of the most intense, distressing, films, detailing the consequences of substance abuse in such a graphic, depressing manner is just what one would need to be horrified enough to avoid illicit drugs like the plague. That is, until upon realizing one thing — there is nothing, ABSOLUTELY nothing, that Generation Z cannot turn into an aesthetic. Whether it’s the simple toxicity of a “femme fatale” trope, or the vile exploitation of a young sex worker addicted to heroin. The bar is so low that it’s only fair to become prophetess of doom.
TikTok’s obsession with what they consider to be “disturbing cinema” is mundane & annoying to say the least. The worshipping of mediocre movies such as Midsommar and Don’t Worry Darling isn’t just for the sake of the reoccurring idolization of what’s closely related to the “femcel” archetype, but also the fact that what seems to intrigue viewers is overt violence accompanied by screen features & designs intended to be “artsy,” but is really just the equivalent of vomiting blood on a canvas, placing a tulip on it and supposedly making it about something. It’s not like the directors of these films birthed an entirely new genre, but their young viewers don’t know that, so they can enjoy Megan Fox portraying a sexy Jeffrey Dahmer, touting it as a statement on misogyny if they’d like to. Obviously, these Mickey Mouse movies aren’t even in the same ballpark as ones like A Clockwork Orange or Pulp Fiction, even if they sadly have been co-opted by incels and pretentious, irritating, millennial film students (the latter which is most likely my destiny). Mind you, this is an extremely subjective affair, and the excuse of applying a “deeper significance” to the creation of cinematic, bloody messes can be used with just about anything, and the faint of heart aren’t required to indulge in these viewings, no matter how truly satirical or meaningful they may be. With that said, there are movies in existence which carry more blunt life lessons for the simple-minded, and are arguably cardinal to learn from, because discomfort is a part of life, therefore, one needs to be prepared for that with realistic, televised depictions as such— something like those bone-chilling European PSAs you’d see online, but leaving a more long-term impact; something that shocks you to your core so much that it leaves your heart pounding, hands shaking & eyes watering. Something like… oh! I get it! THAT’S what this article’s about! I would have never guessed!
It goes without saying that the bleak psychological thriller from the year 2000, based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., flawlessly encapsulates the chronological decay one would suffer from when hooked on dope in such an accurately graphic way that swallows viewers alive & regurgitates them back out. It’s not just a “before & after” slideshow; the movie successfully develops not just one, but four main protagonists, showcasing their hopes & dreams, creating an emotional attachment, only for their initial pep to slowly mutate into the unthinkable. And instead of predictably killing off these characters, the audience is fooled when they are given a fate much worse than death; the excruciating pain of a drug-induced, mental (and physical) prison is juxtaposed with their initial aspirations; both fueled & ruined by addiction. Obviously, this is a painful yet necessary cautionary tale to those vulnerable to substance abuse, compared to the comical ineffectiveness of public schools’ traditional anti-drug rhetoric which is often showcased to students, having pretty much zero effect on young adults’ influences, since “drugs are bad, mkay?” only goes so far. And while the consumption of drugs by teens is often limited to weed & nicotine, it’s easy to forget that what may seem to be minimally harmful substances can and will lead to fatal addictions involving illicit drugs throughout adulthood. So, what are we waiting for? Queue this sucker up right away & show it to every senior student in America! It’ll leave them shaken, disturbed and absolutely terrified to even think of touching a needle! Well, until they find some way to glamorize the hell out of it. Sure, an amputated arm, catatonic state of mind, trauma of withdrawal combined with the prison industrial complex, and an inhumane, sexually exploitative comprising of one’s dignity should be more than enough to scare potential drug users, but sadly, more than enough to contradict the theme by aestheticizing the horror of it all. No matter how much the twisted, eyeball-popping content of Requiem may supersede any other thriller favorite popularized by social media, it’s not definite, but more than likely that young viewers will eventually learn to turn the rock-bottom fate of specifically, the character of Marion Silver into a pro-sex work aesthetic, purposefully undermining the message of the film & entirely missing the point, much like with every other troubling film, and it all goes back to the female issue of searching for a unique identity in all the wrong places. Listen, if the kids of TikTok can empower evil beings from Jodi Arias to Osama bin goddamn Laden, it would not shock me one bit if they could excite at the idea of overdose; after all, they still idolized stars such as Lindsay Lohan, even after discovering the origin of their downfalls; those mugshots hung up on bedroom walls didn’t frame themselves.
With the concern of misuse in mind, it still begs the question: SHOULD teens be shown Requiem or not? Absolutely. For a variety of reasons, besides the obvious; one being that any form of media is accessible at all times, and kids will discover the ones before their time regardless [they already have — duh], two being that this is NEVER the film’s fault & that its theme will always continue to prevail, and three being that nothing ever goes unpunished. If the glorification of mental illness is just a fad, then so be it; let them grow up. And if it’s not, rather only getting worse, then that’s that. There’s really no way to tell that internalized idolization & fantasy will evolve into real-life action, contrary to popular belief, but in the event that it does, to quote Marie Antoinette, “let them eat heroin.” Or something like that. Until then, public schools should be strongly encouraged to implement an annual viewing of this masterpiece. Not like it’ll ever happen. Oh, well.