
Spring has sprung! Or it did for about four days and now it's back to cold and rainy where I'm at. So we're back inside and I've got another horror movie for you all. And this one maybe struck a little too close to home. There are a lot of things I can't relate to in this movie, but there were definitely some things that I can. So it was one of those movies where it felt a little more personal.
But we'll get into that in a minute.
Also, this movie comes with a content warning for death, murder, suicide, violence, and some mild jump scares, as well as traumatic medical relationships. If you like, or don't mind, scary movies, then it should be fine, but if scary movies are absolutely not your cup of tea, you might want to skip this one.
Briefly, and Without Spoilers
A successful interior designer seems to have the perfect life -- perfect job, perfect house, perfect husband, but, as her friends and family repeatedly point out, no kids. Even though Ella (Dianna Agron) is perfectly content without kids, and even prefers it, the pressure she feels from everyone around her drives her to seek out an experimental hormonal treatment -- but will it work and at what cost?
Written and directed by Alexis Jacknow, based on her short film of the same name, Clock confronts the ongoing pressure to have children, pressure placed particularly heavily on women's shoulders, and what it means to be "normal."
Maybe Yours is Broken (Spoilers Ahead!!)
As I mentioned, this movie hit a little close to home. I'm not interested in having children myself, and while I've been blessed with a family that doesn't pressure me to have any and I generally don't encounter anyone who does, I've certainly gotten questions about it and am not unaware that certain circles still find the choice taboo. And some of the discussions really stood out to me.

First, there was the initial discussion with the first doctor who performed the pap smear, when she said, "Everyone has a biological clock. Maybe yours is just broken." And there was nearly every conversation with Dr. Simmons (Melora Hardin). Both of these medical professionals made Ella believe there was something wrong with her for not wanting to have children. That there was some sort of biological component and that not wanting to have kids was a medical issue that needed to be fixed. And as outrageously inappropriate as that is (and it gets worse), we hear stories of women who are denied procedures like voluntary hysterectomies, or must ask their significant other to sign off on it, because they haven't had children or haven't had enough children. And I think the two doctors in this movie prove that it doesn't matter if it's delivered in a calm and soothing voice. It's still slimy.
And then there was the discussion of carrying on the family name with her father (Saul Rubinek). Now I'm also not Jewish, but the idea that family might make you think it's your duty to help revive a culture that was decimated like the Jewish community certainly doesn't seem completely out of the realm of possibilities. And clearly bullshit. The father is only using this guilt trip as a mask for whatever reasons he has for pressuring Ella into having kids.
This doesn't include the conversations she has with her friends or strangers. It seems this pressure is coming at her from all sides and it's no wonder she starts to doubt her own reasons for choosing not to have kids. That after years of this, she's slowly been worn down to the point of doubting her own convictions and questioning her completely normal choices as a grown woman.
Keep in mind, not only is she a grown woman, she's an incredibly successful woman. She's described as the next great interior designer, and somehow, that's not enough for anyone but her.
Losing Your Voice
I think the other underlying factor that's highlighted really well in the story is how much of Ella's voice is constantly undermined. We see it right away when the pregnant friend, Shauna (Grace Porter), starts answering questions for Ella. As well-intentioned as that may have been, and as much as Shauna may have been trying to help Ella get out of awkward conversations, it ends up being just a drop in an ocean of people who don't let her speak.
Which she clearly has interpreted to mean she should stay quiet. There are many instances in which she shies away from a difficult conversation or from making firm decisions, like when she walks away from her father at dinner when he begins to berate her for not having children.
I also think this gets highlighted in Dr. Simmons's study itself, and potentially speaks to an issue within the drug trial industry. I know nothing about real stats on this, but there's a point where Ella is beginning to experience negative side effects from the therapy. When she's told negative side effects would get her taken off the study, she lies. She's desperate to make this work and doesn't want to stop treatment. And so all these influencing factors, and how the treatment is set up, pressure her to silence herself and undermine her experience on her own, simply to please others.

The one person she is significantly more forward with is her husband, Aiden (Jay Ali). Even though she lies about the study, her initial conversation in the bedroom reveals she's much less reserved around him. She trusts him to respect her to an extent she doesn't trust others to. Only to find out he's the reason she felt pressured to take part in that specific study. Which, of course, triggers her violent episode and leads her to lash out at her father just as he was starting to turn things around.
All this voice silencing further underlines the theme that women don't always have a say in their own healthcare. That their voice comes second to what society believes their purpose in life to be.
Back to the Movie
So now that we've got that out of the way, I have to say I really enjoyed the movie. I really liked Dianna Agron and Saul Rubinek, and I thought Melora Hardin was perfect casting for the Dr. Simmons role.
It's definitely more of a psychological thriller than spooky scary horror movie, but there are some overtly scary moments. The Tall Woman in particular I thought I was the creepiest element, and I didn't mind that we went full jump scare a few times.
A Little Much, but Not the Worst
There's definitely a little heavy-handedness happening. Some of the symbolism is in your face, and the clock's a little obvious, but I don't hate it. Also the third act is quite the rollercoaster. I'm still on the fence as to whether it was a good rollercoaster or not. It was definitely wild.
And I'm not usually a fan of the, "Woman is so utterly pressured by society that she can't see any other way out" ending. I know it's not a classic horror ending, but I prefer when the woman really comes to love who she is and overcomes the things that are pulling her down to come out the other side. Women are a lot stronger than I think Hollywood sometimes gives them credit for.
Not a Classic, but Good
I think maybe not everyone is going to be on board with this movie, and I admit there are some rough moments, but overall I think it's a good exploration of this sociological issue as seen through psychological thriller. It's definitely worth the watch, although you may want to wait until a time when you're in the mood to hate society.
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