Into the Darkis ahorror anthology seriesfrom Blumhouse Productions for Hulu that debuted in October 2018. The feature-length episodes correspond to a holiday and feature stories exploring contemporary social issues.All That We Destroyis the eighth installment of the first season, set on Mother’s Day, and tells the story of a geneticist, Victoria, and her son, Spencer. The two have a unique bond, as Victoria creates clones for her son to kill in an effort to suppress his violent urges and prevent him from becoming a full-blown serial killer.
While much different than Stanley Kubrick’s classic,All That We Destroyeffectively serves as an update toA Clockwork Orange, a film that follows a similar narrative of attempting to suppress violence in an individual. WhereA Clockwork Orangeis more satirical,Into the Darktakes the premise and displays it from a more humanistic point of view. This is most apparent in the main characters, Alex and Spencer, who are both deeply affected by their inner demons.
Let’s look further into how this episode builds on the themes ofA Clockwork Orangeand brings them into a modern context through the characters and their relationships.
Spencer In All That We Destroy
All That We Destroyfocuses on a complex take on the relationship between mother and son, pushing it towards an exploration of nature vs. nurture. The movie is set at some point in the future, where the boundaries between technology and genetic manipulation are blurred. Spencer, who’s struggled with violent urges and murderous tendencies since childhood, lives a secluded life with his mother, Victoria.
Related:Why A Clockwork Orange is More Relevant Now Than When it First Released
Victoria uses her genetic lab to create clones of one of Spencer’s previous victims in an effort to keep him from killing more people. On the surface, it seems like a mother’s desperate attempt to prevent her sonfrom becoming a monster. Yet, as the story unfolds, the viewer gets a glimpse into what type of mother Victoria actually is. She’s willing to manipulate her son’s existence and even create clones for him to murder in an effort to control his behavior, but she isn’t willing to let him try and deal with his own demons by living a normal life. While he needs consequences for his actions, it poses the question of whether Spencer is really being protected or is a victim of his environment.
Much like the control placed over Alex, Spencer is also forced to deal with controlling forces. Alex was subjected to the Ludovico technique while Spencer attempted to cope with his mother’s overbearing ways. This is one of the waysAll That We DestroyupdatesA Clockwork Orangefor a modern audience by addressing issues like parental control, mental health, and the use of technology to control behavior.
Alex In A Clockwork Orange
Also set ina futuristic time period,A Clockwork Orangefollows Alex, a young man drawn to a life of crime, violence, and rape. He’s ultimately arrested for murder and sentenced to prison. There, he undergoes the Ludovico technique, a form of psychological conditioning meant to reform him into a model citizen. The treatment consists of Alex being strapped down with his eyes forced open and given drugs to watch incredibly violent films, leaving him feeling shaken and ill. The aversion therapy causes Alex physical and psychological pain, conditioning him to despise anything violent or sexual.
This type of forced behavior modification is contrasted inAll That We Destroy, where Spencer’s mother essentially gives him permission to indulge in his violent tendencies. Alex, on the other hand, must suppress them. Both characters ultimately face the same issue: they’re unable to decide for themselves which actions are right or wrong and have to deal with external forces attempting to control their behavior.
Related:A Clockwork Orange: Deeper Meanings and Why It’s Controversial
Today’s audiences will be able to relate, as most of us are used to being guided by rules and regulations set by our society. That’s whereAll That We Destroymanages to bring the themes ofA Clockwork Orangeinto a more relatable context while still exploring the idea of free will and personal choice. The episode also asks us to consider what happens when external controls are forced upon us and what impact it has on developing minds.
How Both Present Themes of Control and Violence
At its core, bothA Clockwork OrangeandAll That We Destroyexplore similar themes of control, dysfunction, and societal pressure to conform. The main difference between them is how they present these themes to viewers.
InA Clockwork Orange, Alex’s reformation, though debatable, is claimed to be a success, whereas, inAll That We Destroy, Victoria’s attempts to control Spencer ultimately fail. Both endingsleave more questions than answers, but the movies do share a common theme of how people struggle to stay true to themselves in a world where extreme measures are taken to make them conform.
Is Alex just another product of his environment or an example of organic violence? Is Spencer a victim of his mother’s manipulation, or is he the real threat inAll That We Destroy? It’s up to the viewer to decide. Though their stories are different, these characters share the same theme of being controlled and struggling to maintain their identities. Both movies look at how, despite the differences in time, technology, and our acceptance of mental health, the underlying struggle for autonomy still stands.
