History Film / TheStrangeThingAboutTheJohnsons

* LeaveTheCameraRunning: After Joan is forced to kill Sidney, the camera lingers on a static shot of her [[BrokenTears sobbing in despair]] for quite some time, allowing the emotional weight of the situation to sit in.

* DownerEnding: Sidney dies after getting hit by a car. After his funeral, Joan confronts Isaiah, demanding to know the truth. She is then forced to kill him in self-defense when he tries to murder her. Afterwards, she burns Sidney's memoir, leaving her as the only one who knows of what her son did to his father.

* CreatorCameo: Ari Aster cameos as Dr. Storm Rickles, Ph.D, who made the "words of encouragement" tape that Sidney is listening to in the bathtub [[spoiler:when Isaiah rapes him]].

* CreatorCameo: Ari Aster cameos as Dr. Storm Rickles, Ph.D, who made the "words of encouragement" tape that Sidney is listening to in the bathtub [[spoiler:before, during, and after Isaiah rapes him]].

Not much time passes before the film reveals [[{{Squick}} what exactly]] the "strange thing" about this family ''is'', at which point [[FromBadToWorse things go downhill from there]].

It premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in January of 2011, but gained infinitely more attention following its leaking online in November of that year. Out of the sheer advent of public curiosity towards the aforementioned [[AudienceAlienatingPremise "strange thing"]], the film went viral, receiving [[BrokenBase a polarized mix of reactions]] that ranged from acclaim to disgust. While the "strange thing" has become something of a DancingBear among contemporary audiences, it has also lent its hand to intriguing intellectual analysis by those who choose to dig deeper.

-->''"I love you, Dad... but this makes it hard."''

Not much time passes before the film reveals its [[{{Squick}} real purpose]].

It premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in January of 2011, but gained infinitely more attention following its leaking online in November of that year. Out of the sheer advent of public curiosity towards the aforementioned [[AudienceAlienatingPremise "real purpose"]], the film went viral, receiving [[BrokenBase a polarized mix of reactions]] that ranged from acclaim to disgust. While the "real purpose" of the film has become something of a DancingBear among contemporary audiences, it has also lent its hand to intriguing intellectual analysis by those who choose to dig deeper.

!!As the film's entire plot hangs on the WhamShot in its opening, ''all spoilers are unmarked.'' It is strongly advised that you watch the short first, then come back here. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

* HannibalLecture: Isaiah gives one to Sidney in a last ditch effort to stop him from publishing the manuscript.

* LookBothWays: Justified, Sidney is so torn up by the aforementioned HannibalLecture he runs off in a daze and is hit by a van before he can get out of the way. One could also interpret this as a suicide, perfectly understandable given the circumstances.

* DownerEnding: Sidney dies after getting hit by a car. After his funeral, Joan confronts Isaiah, demanding to know the truth. She is then forced to kill him in self-defense when he tries to murder her. Afterwards, she burns Sidney's manuscript, leaving her as the one left who knows of what her son did to his father and she can never breathe a word of it to anyone.

'''Discussing tropes found within this work will effectively spoil the entire film. We strongly advise you to watch the short first, ''then'' come back here. Administrivia/{{You have been warned}}.'''

* BrokenTears: Joan after [[spoiler:killing Isaiah]].

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Sidney dies after getting hit by a car. After his funeral, Joan confronts Isaiah, demanding to know the truth. She is then forced to kill him in self-defense when he tries to murder her. Afterwards, she burns Sidney's manuscript, leaving her as the one left who knows of what her son did to his father and she can never breathe a word of it to anyone.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Possibly; it's not made explicitly clear if Sidney's death via car was accidental or intentional.]]

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Isaiah is killed by his mother, Joan, at the end.]]
* LookBothWays: [[spoiler:Justified, Sidney is so torn up by the aforementioned HannibalLecture he runs off in a daze and is hit by a van before he can get out of the way. One could also interpret this as a suicide, perfectly understandable given the circumstances.]]
* OffingTheOffspring: [[spoiler:Joan kills Isaiah in the end, although it's purely out of self-defense and [[BrokenTears brings her zero satisfaction]].]]
* PoorCommunicationKills: [[spoiler: Sidney does not tell anyone what his son is doing to him in fear of his reputation. He finally decides to confess it in a memoir he plans to publish, but before he can, he gets hit by a car and is killed on impact.]]
* ParentalIncest: [[spoiler:A one-sided, forced, incestuous relationship between Isaiah and his dad. A rare example where the ''child'' is the abuser and the parent is the victim.]]

* SelfMadeOrphan[=/=]{{Matricide}}: [[spoiler:Not only did Isaiah accidentally get his dad killed, but he tried to shove his mother's face into a fireplace after she attacked him.]]

* SpoilerOpening: The opening begins with a twelve-year-old Isaiah masturbating to a photo, [[CaughtWithYourPantsDown when Sidney accidentally barges in]], and follows this up with a lecture on masturbation. Fairly awkward, but nothing out of the ordinary. But then the camera pans to reveal that the photo was that of ''Sidney''.
* TeensAreMonsters: Isaiah, in spades. [[spoiler:At his core, he's a sociopath and a rapist who's been manipulating his own father for years.]]
* ThousandYardStare: Joan, at [[spoiler:Sidney's funeral]].
* VillainousBreakdown: Isaiah has a massive one after [[spoiler:Sidney is killed]].

* YouMonster: Joan calls her son out for [[spoiler:inadvertently killing his dad]].

The film focuses on the eponymous Johnson family: Sidney, a successful poet; Joan, his wife; and Isaiah, his charismatic son who has just gotten married.

However, this is where the film reveals its [[{{Squick}} real purpose]].

* BigBad: [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Depending on who you ask]], Isaiah and Sidney could equally be this. Initially, the audience is led to believe that Isaiah is the villain, due to his sexual abuse of his father, but his HannibalLecture to him near the end implies that Sidney abused him first, and it snowballed from there. The possibility that Isaiah is just victim blaming him is simply victim blaming him is still open.

* BigBad: [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Depending on who you ask]], Isaiah and Sidney could equally be this. Initially, the audience is led to believe that Isaiah is the villain, due to his sexual abuse of his father, but his HannibalLecture to him near the end implies that Sidney abused him first, and it snowballed from there.

It premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in January of 2011, but gained infinitely more attention following its leaking online in November of that year. Out of the sheer advent of public curiosity towards the aforementioned [[AudienceAlienatingPremise "real purpose"]], the film went viral, receiving [[BrokenBase a polarized mix of reactions]] that ranged from acclaim to disgust.

* HappilyMarried: To Isaiah's chargin, Joan and Sidney are happily married to each other throughout the movie.

* BigBad: Isaiah Johnson, a young man sexually abusing his own father.

[[quoteright:238:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The-Strange-Thing-About-The-Johnsons-2011-546x800_3103.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:238: "I love you, dad, but this makes it hard."]]

''The Strange Thing About the Johnsons'' is a short film drama written and directed by Creator/AriAster.

%%* TeensAreMonsters: Isaiah in spades.

[[caption-width-right:238: "I love you dad, But this makes it hard."]]

''The Strange Thing about The Johnsons'' is a short film drama written and produced by Creator/AriAster. It is about domestic violence, with satiric elements.

The film focuses on the eponymous Johnson family. Sidney, a successful poet. Joan, his wife. And Isaiah, his charismatic son who has just gotten married. However, this is where the film reveals its [[{{Squick}} real purpose]]. Isaiah has been raping his dad since he was twelve and worse, his dad refused to confess to it in fear of how people around him will take it. At the start of the film, however, Sidney has finished his memoir confessing his story of the abuse, which he plans to publish.

!!''The Strange Thing About The Johnsons'' provides examples of:

* BigScrewedUpFamily: Right in the title.
* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: Sidney walks in on his son masturbating and gives him a speech that it's a natural thing to do.

* ParentalIncest: A one-sided, forced, incestuous relationship between Isaiah and his dad. A rare example where the ''child'' is the abuser and the parent is the victim.

''The Strange Thing about The Johnsons'' is a short film drama about domestic violence, with satiric elements.

The film focuses on the eponymous Johnson family. Sidney, a successful poet. Joan, his wife. And Isaiah, his charismatic son who has just gotten married. However, this is where the film jumps into its [[{{Squick}} true nature]]. Isaiah has been raping his dad since he was twelve and worse, his dad refused to confess to it in fear of how people around him will take it. At the start of the film, however, Sidney has finished his memoir confessing his story of the abuse, which he plans to publish.

* IdiotBall: If Sidney was a little more careful with the manuscript to his memoir, the movie would have taken an entirely different path. Instead, he treats as if he wants Isaiah to read it. With his first copy, he hides it under a pillow but not entirely so that it could be noticed from a couple yards away and lets Isaiah into the room where it is being hidden, albeit reluctantly. With his second copy, he carries it out in the open despite the fact he knows Isaiah is currently in the same house he's in and was already caught by him with the first copy.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Sidney dies after getting hit by a car, after the funeral Isaiah burns his Manuscript, the only proof of what he did. Joan kills him after confronting him but with the manuscript gone she is truly the only one left who knows of what her son did to his father and she can never breathe a word of it to anyone.]]

* BigNo: Sidney when Isaiah bust open the bathroom door while he is taking a bath.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: Guess.
* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: The opening scene.

* {{Jerkass}}: Isaiah.

* RapeAsBackstory: Isaiah has been raping his father since he was 12.
* RiddleForTheAges: Who really started the abusive incestuous relationship? Isaiah claims Sidney started it, but considering his position as the abuser and the possibility of UsefulNotes/VictimBlaming, the truth is much murkier than that.

* TeensAreMonsters: Isaiah in spades.

* {{Yandere}}: Isaiah is one to his own father.

* AxCrazy: Isaiah

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: The opening begins with a twelve-year-old Isaiah masturbating to a photo, [[CaughtWithYourPantsDown when Sidney accidentally barges in]], and follows this up with a lecture on masturbation. Fairly awkward, but nothing out of the ordinary. But then the camera pans to reveal that the photo was that of ''Sidney''.

* SelfMadeOrphan[=/=]Matricide: [[spoiler:Not only did Isaiah accidentally get his dad killed, but he tried to shove his mother's face into a fireplace after she attacked him.]]