History Film / Antichrist

The film centers around [[NamelessNarrative "He" and "She"]] (Creator/WillemDafoe and Creator/CharlotteGainsbourg, respectively) attempting to deal with the grief surrounding the death of their infant son. He, a psychologist, proposes exposure therapy at their cabin in the woods appropriately called [[RuleOfSymbolism "Eden"]], due to skepticism surrounding traditional medication-based treatment. Things go FromBadToWorse. Much, much worse...

* AdultFear: It is expressed when She hears her son's cries, but is unable to find him for a time. It makes it ''worse'' when she does find Nick, only to find him ''not crying'', so it just leaves She disturbed and obviously confused as to ''who'' is crying.
* AgonyOfTheFeet: [[spoiler:While alone with Nick, She used to switch his shoes. This caused small deformations in his feet.]]

%%* BodyHorror

%%* CameraTricks

%%* DontGoInTheWoods

* EmpathyDollShot: The boy in the opening scene has a teddy bear which is shown in close up crashing onto the street.
* EverythingTryingToKillYou
* TheFaceless: Apart from the two main protagonists, the few supporting cast members appearing have their faces deliberately blurred.

* GainaxEnding: [[spoiler:After killing She and burning her corpse, He goes away, and then he sees a multitude of faceless women going past him and towards Eden.]] What?

%%* TheLostWoods
%%* MindScrew

* NoNameGiven: The main protagonists are never named, not even in the end credits, where they are just designated as "He" and "She". The only character named is their son Nick.
%%* NothingIsScarier

* PrimalScene: {{Inverted}}. Nick didn't see his parents having sex, but She saw him [[spoiler:jumping from the window]].

%%* PsychologicalHorror

* SanitySlippage: She completely loses it after being confronted with the 'reversed shoes' incident.

* SnowMeansDeath: Nick is mesmerized by snowflakes before he falls out of the window.

%%* SurrealHorror

%%* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness

%%* WorldOfSymbolism
* {{Yandere}}: She.

* GainaxEnding: After [[spoiler: killing She]], He goes away, and then he sees a multitude of faceless women going past him and towards Eden. What?

* {{Gorn}}: A bit over-emphasized by the critics, there are actually only ''two short'' gore scenes, toward the end of the movie. That said, these two scenes are really, ''really'', '''really''' horrible.
* GroinAttack: In both the male and female equivalent, [[spoiler:and respectively inflicted and self-inflicted.]]

Imagine what a film co-directed by the Creator/StanleyKubrick who made ''Film/TheShining'', the Creator/DavidLynch who made ''Film/{{Eraserhead}}'' and the Creator/AndreiTarkovsky who made ''Film/{{Stalker}}'' could look like, and you're getting close to the idea.

* [[BigBadDuumvirate Big Bad Triumvirate]]: [[spoiler:The Three Beggars, Grief, Pain and Despair, three supernatural beings who haunt Eden and caused the plot by driving She insane.]]

* NonIndicativeName: TheAntiChrist never shows up in the film, nor does anything explicitly Satanic aside from certain references by She. The title comes from the original ending, where it's revealed that Satan made this world as opposed to God.

The film centers around [[NoNameGiven "He" and "She"]] (Creator/WillemDafoe and Creator/CharlotteGainsbourg, respectively) attempting to deal with the grief surrounding the death of their infant son. He, a psychologist, proposes exposure therapy at their cabin in the woods appropriately called [[RuleOfSymbolism "Eden"]], due to skepticism surrounding traditional medication-based treatment. Things go FromBadToWorse. Much, much worse...

* NoneIndicativeName: TheAntiChrist never shows up in the film, nor does anything explicitly Satanic aside from certain references by She. The title comes from the original ending, where it's revealed that Satan made this world as opposed to God.

''Antichrist'' is a 2009 {{horror}} film written and directed by Creator/LarsVonTrier. Imagine what a film co-directed by the Creator/StanleyKubrick who made ''Film/TheShining'', the Creator/DavidLynch who made ''Film/{{Eraserhead}}'' and the Creator/AndreiTarkovsky who made ''Film/{{Stalker}}'' could look like, and you're getting close to the idea.

The movie started a heated controversy during its premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, with most critics praising the film for its technological accomplishments, while bitterly divided over its merits or lack thereof. Many detractors accused the movie of being deeply misogynistic as well as artless {{Euroshlock}}. Not helping was Von Trier (facetiously, we hope) declaring himself the "best director in the world" and Gainsbourg winning Best Actress.

* AnimalisticAbomination: The Three Beggers. [[MindScrew Maybe]].
* AxCrazy: If She doesn't fit this trope as well as [[Film/TheShining Jack Torrance,]] then who can?
* TheBlank: The epilogue features Willem Dafoe's character being surrounded by a large group of faceless female spirits who walk through the forest, ignoring him.

* SanitySlippage: She completely loses it, after being confronted with the 'reversed shoes' incident.

* BookEnds: Both the prologue and the conclusion are in black and white with no sound except for Händel's "Liascia ch'io pianga"

* GroinAttack: And ''how''. In both the male and female equivalent, [[spoiler:and respectively inflicted and self-inflicted.]]

%%* MinimalistCast

* DarkerAndEdgier: As ''Film/TrashHumpers'' (which came out in the same year, oddly enough) was for HarmonyKorine is ''Antichrist'' for Lars Von Trier; a new dark-and-edgy low in an oeuvre already known for its morbidity. It set the tone for ''Film/{{Melancholia}}'' and ''Film/{{Nymphomaniac}}'' after it.

* InfantImmortality: {{Averted}} from the get-go. The death of the pair's young son is what begins the film.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* {{Gorn}}: A bit over-emphasized by the critics, there are actually only ''two short'' gore scenes, toward the end of the movie. That said, these two scenes are really, ''really'', '''[[BodyHorror really]]''' horrible.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Many times by She, [[spoiler:then used as torture on He.]]

* BodyHorror

* CameraTricks

* DontGoInTheWoods

* LeFilmArtistique: According to the film's detractors.
* TheLostWoods
* MindScrew
* MinimalistCast

* NothingIsScarier

* PsychologicalHorror

* SurrealHorror

* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness

* WorldOfSymbolism

* DarkerAndEdgier: As ''TrashHumpers'' (which came out in the same year, oddly enough) was for HarmonyKorine is ''Antichrist'' for Lars Von Trier; a new dark-and-edgy low in an oeuvre already known for its morbidity. It set the tone for ''Film/{{Melancholia}}'' and ''Film/{{Nymphomaniac}}'' after it.

* DroneOfDread: The entire soundtrack -- minus Händel's "Liascia ch'io pianga" in the prologue and conclusion.

* IntimatePsychotherapy: [{{Subverted}}.

The movie started a heated controversy during its premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, with most critics praising the film for its technological accomplishments, while bitterly divided over its merits or lack thereof. Many detractors accused the movie of being deeply misogynistic as well as artless {{Euroshlock}}. Not helping was von Trier (facetiously, we hope) declaring himself the "best director in the world" and Gainsbourg winning Best Actress.

* DarkerAndEdgier: As ''TrashHumpers'' (Which came out in the same year, oddly enough) was for HarmonyKorine is ''Antichrist'' for Lars von Trier; a new dark-and-edgy low in an oeuvre already known for its morbidity. It set the tone for ''Film/{{Melancholia}}'' and ''Film/{{Nymphomaniac}}'' after it.

* InfantImmortality: Averted from the get-go. The death of the pair's young son is what begins the film.
* IntimatePsychotherapy: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]].

* PrimalScene: Inverted. Nick didn't see his parents having sex, but She saw him [[spoiler:jumping from the window]].

* ReligiousHorror: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]].
* RoomFullOfCrazy: Double-subverted: The crazy was originally regular research material for a dissertation about misogyny, but then [[HeWhoFightsMonsters She really began to believe that women are inherently evil.]]

* ThingsThatGoBumpInTheNight: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] and heavily played with.

The film centers around [[NoNameGiven "He" and "She"]] (Creator/WillemDafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, respectively) attempting to deal with the grief surrounding the death of their infant son. He, a psychologist, proposes exposure therapy at their cabin in the woods appropriately called [[RuleOfSymbolism "Eden"]], due to skepticism surrounding traditional medication-based treatment. Things go FromBadToWorse. Much, much worse...

The movie started a heated controversy during its premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, with most critics praising the film for its technological accomplishments, while bitterly divided over its merits or lack thereof. Many detractors accused the movie of being deeply misogynistic as well as artless {{Euroshlock}}. Not helping was von Trier (sarcastically, we hope) declaring himself the "best director in the world" and Gainsbourg winning Best Actress.

* CrapsackWorld: Even the acorns are miserable. And possibly vicious.

The movie started a heated controversy during its premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, with most critics praising the film for its technological accomplishments, while bitterly divided over its merits or lack thereof. Many detractors accused the movie of being deeply misogynistic as well as artless {{Euroshlock}}. Not helping was von Trier declaring himself the "best director in the world" and Gainsbourg winning Best Actress.