Drag Me to Hell's Hidden Meaning

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Drag Me to Hell is a horror movie that came out in 2009. Though at first glance it seems like a typical gory horror movie with an up-front plot, it is actually atypical. This film has a whole other story going on between the lines. The writers of this film use fictional elements like demons and curses that resonate with everyone to evoke horror in their audience and portray the very real, nonfictional horror of eating disorders. This is a genius way to artistically express a feeling and a state of mind that most people are aware of but don’t have enough understanding to be able to empathize with. Drag Me to Hell is an allegorical horror movie on eating disorders because it portrays the protagonist’s issue with her body image, frightening images that relate to bulimia nervosa, themes of starvation, and the demon symbolizing the protagonist’s internal demon. Throughout the film, the protagonist Christine Brown is reminded of earlier years of when she use to be fat. This really exposes some of her self-hatred and the pressure she feels to stay skinny. In one scene, she comes across an advertisement of a picture of her preteen self-labeled, “Pork Queen,” standing next to a pig and looking much different and heavier than she does now. She tosses it aside and we begin to understand that she has a very poor body image of herself in her head despite the fact that she is a pretty girl. Also, in a later scene, Christine goes to the gypsy’s house and is met at the door by her granddaughter who says, “You use to be a real fat girl. I can tell,” and Brown immediately feels shame and judgment and viewers begin to empathize with her self-loathing. All of the scenes with creepy or gory elements where Christine is tortured in some way are not just to cause fear and add to the tense feeling of the movie; they all directly relate to bulimia nervosa. Brown endures being

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