YMMV / The Vow (2020)

• Accidental Aesop: Emphasis is placed on instincts and first impressions. Bonnie notes that her first reaction to meeting Keith was "He's kinda creepy." It's mentioned that India Oxenberg kept her distance from Keith initially, seemingly sensing something off about him, until he was finally able to get his hooks in her. Sarah says she very nearly bailed on her first five-day because she was weirded out by the strange sashes and titles and so on. And much of NXIVM's philosophy is about controlling and overcoming emotional responses that aren't appropriate to the situation, so clearly, if you're having a "gut feeling" or "bad sense" or "creepy vibe" about someone or something, that's not them, it's you and your inappropriate emotional responses lying to you. Who are you going to trust, a roomful of self-actualized geniuses, or those primitive fight-or-flight instincts that don't mean anything in our modern society? That "gut feeling?" No, that's not any kind of intuition or subconscious perceptiveness, that's a subconscious emotional hang-up we can help you get over. Fear? Fear doesn't help keep you safe, it holds you back from doing what you want to do and being who you want to be. What are you afraid of? It can't be us, it must be something wrong with you. The Aesop then is that instincts, gut feelings, and fears should be paid heed, even if you don't let them dictate your actions, they can inform your actions and help you stay out of trouble.
• Jerkass Woobie: For a given value of "jerkass". Nancy Salzman was (unintentionally and in many cases unknowingly) responsible for some truly horrible, horrible things, but it's hard not to feel sorry for her as she comes to terms with just how badly her life's work has been twisted without her realizing. She really did get into NXIVM to help people, and is horrified to realize the truth.

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