Comments on: 3 Theories to Explain The Strange Ones Movie

By: Taylor Holmes

Taylor Holmes — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 16:06:01 +0000

In reply to Johm.

You are the one doing the WORK here! The drawing of the cave before ever seeing it? Gary asking about the arm that matches Nick’s gunshot wound? The “last deer his dad ever shot” line pointing to the father’s death? These are exactly the kinds of details that make the fractured psyche theory (Sam = Nick) actually hold water instead of just being a cool Reddit theory.

And you’re right – that red Volvo is SUCH a weird choice. Mom-car energy for a movie about… definitely not moms. That detail alone screams “something symbolic is happening here that I’m too dense to decode.” I love that you’re weaving together the literal reading AND the dissociative identity reading. Because honestly? The movie gives you just enough rope to hang yourself with either interpretation. The thought suppression stuff Gary teaches could be “here’s how to cope with trauma” OR “here’s how a fractured mind maintains the fiction.”

The death-that-might-not-be-death with just the broken arm is WILD. Like, you get hit by a car after fleeing in despair and you just… break your arm? That’s either terrible screenwriting or the movie telling us “hey, maybe none of this is literally happening the way you think it is.” What do you think Nick meant by coming out of that cave “changed” that one night as a kid?

By: Johm

Johm — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:32:28 +0000

Ok, I’m late to the party. Just watched it in March of 2026. I see these theories woven together. Sam as Nick, Nick as Sam. He even took on Jeremiah as a way to blend in, supporting possible other personas. The one thing I didn’t read (too many comments to sort them all), is Sam’s drawing. He kept drawing the dark giant circle… I see it as the cave. He was drawing it before Sam ever saw it. So if they are one and the same, Sam/Nick flashed back at the end before Nick died in the cave. Gary asks Sam about his arm, which is where Nick was shot. Also, Nick said that photo of his father was the last deer his dad ever shot, alluding to his father’s death (where Sam/Nick killed his dad). And Nick said he stayed one night in the cave and came out changed. So, perhaps Sam didn’t get run over by a car and really die, but he only thinks death is his way out of his pain and trauma and he dreams of his death. He did kill his father and ended up at the “camp” where Gary tells him how to take control back by self suppressing his thoughts. He loved his Nick persona he created to be the father or love he thought he wanted and needed. Nick had to die because he knew the truth, about what really happened to his father, and about Sam being gay. The segment where the girl and her mom take Sam in (another dream or mental reality) helps Sam realize he’s gay and better off at the “camp”. So either something like this, or the literal take would be Sam killed his father, abused by neighbor Nick who help fashion how Sam killed his dad, and they took off to the woods in a red Volvo. Why a red Volvo??? Those are mom safety, luxury vehicles. Nick dies in a random standoff in a cave with the authority’s. Sam mourns his loss and runs away from the family who took him in. Death cat lures him in front of a car that sounds like an instant death… yet only has a broken arm. Gary asked about it as Sam miraculously survives said accident. And another guy is teaching him thought suppression. I give up (facepalm).

By: Suzan

Suzan — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 04:45:56 +0000

According to the original screenplay, the neighbor is a pedophile. But this movie switched it up and made the neighbor look like he was helping the boy, but the truth is those that are sexually abused do often become abnormally attached to their abusers. This movie removes the neighbor as being one of the perpetrators, and turns him into some saintly guy that doesn’t exist in the real world.
Irregardless, the young man had abnormal feelings for his “friend” pedo or not.
I think this movie is confusing because it’s held up against the original screenplay, which has the opposite motive for Nick.
Children do get lost inside themselves (through abuse) that part is true.

By: Taylor Holmes

Taylor Holmes — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:45:13 +0000

@simplicity nailed it. It’s pervasive. Also, we should “get over” the fact that it happens? What? No. Nonononooo.

By: Simplicity

Simplicity — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 10:58:05 +0000

It happens in poor neighborhoods?? There is nowhere exempt from sexual abuse.

By: TJ Johnson

TJ Johnson — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 16:03:08 +0000

The whole movie was bad from beginning, boring and dull as a ground down butter knife. But wait there’s more, take nothing and make something. Yes, throw in the sexual abuse to blame for insanity. In poor neighborhoods it’s happens, get over it.

By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 29 May 2023 00:35:31 +0000

Not recommending this movie based upon implied molestation is very nearsited. The film does not condone it. And child sexual abuse is very real issue that shouldn’t be skirted away because it makes you uncomfy.

As an aside, think about the diner scene. The coffee cup disappearing wasn’t a magic trick. Sam was changing his past memories to make them palatable on the advice of Gary.

By: Taylor Holmes

Taylor Holmes — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 00:39:58 +0000

In reply to Steve.

Hey there Steve,
that is a great question. Some of the most widely read, and tumultuously good movies on this site are movies I don’t know if I would “recommend”. But you are right, I did spend like HOURS writing that thing up… so what am I doing if I’m not “recommending” it? Hrm.

But yeah, it’s the child abuse aspect of the movie… if there was a theory that could have made that side of it not happen? Or if it was in someones mind? then I’d be all in!! Right? But all the theories point more DEEPLY into the abuse side of things, and not away from them. Right? Gah. So ghastly. I just don’t know if I can support a movie that has children abused so horrifically like that I guess. Maybe is what I was saying? But it was intriguing trying to pull it all apart and understand what really happened here.

Similar movie, but different – that I WOULD DEFINITELY recommend – would be Buster’s Mal Heart. Sort of similar ground, maybe? But no children specifically abused. Anyway. Thanks for the comment. Don’t be a stranger.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 00:24:49 +0000

Why would you not recommend this movie? Clearly you are intrigued by it or you would not have written about it. It’s right up your alley actually with all the twists and
Turns and double meanings and fake outs. I mean all
It doesn’t have is some mind fucking time travel! Sure it’s a rough subject but I think it does a good job getting inside the mind of an abused child.