SPOILER DISCUSSION

1-When Mia first goes out to get a lay of the land, she comes upon a shop selling trinkets. She purchases a vampire figure to gift to her husband at a later time. ^[1] I believe the figure to be a vampire. Future viewings of the film should help clarify this point, but I’ll keep it in for now because it seems consistent with the film. The monstrous vampire is a perfect metaphor for the voyeuristic watcher. The vampire is a creature with no “reflection” and requires an invitation to come in.

The watcher is cast in absolute silhouette and has no discernible features – a missing “reflection” – and only starts to more aggressively corner Mia upon being waived to – an invitation to come in. Mia buying the figure and bringing it into her apartment is symbolic of the way her larger journey in the film shapes up to be.

2-The bedroom wall dividing Mia’s unit from Irina’s (Madalina Anea) features a window-like frame in the center of it. This frame has no glass but has the same dimensions as the windows that Mia finds herself gazing out of. The sounds from the other side of the wall provide the backdrop for Mia to “see” what’s going on the other side.

3.The ending is absolutely wonderful and teeters on the edge of believability. While the blood loss seems excessive, the film makes a point of mentioning Mia’s acting ability early on and her choice to “play” dead to get the gun without the killer being aware feels like a purposeful nod back to it.