Note: spoilers follow...
It's funny, I woke up yesterday morning to my brother-in-law going on and on about this new show called Amish in the City, so what'd ya think my mind was jumpin' to as soon as it started processing all those colonial images? Yes, that's right, folks: the whole time, John's subconsciously thinking that this community has voluntarily isolated itself from the modern world. (Yes, despite the date on the tombstone; I missed it.) That made for some decidedly muted surprises as the movie progressed (as those who've seen it can no doubt imagine).
But, at the same time, I was convinced that "those whom they wouldn't speak of" were inhuman creatures. So, yes, an Amish village being terrorized by monsters was my early take on it. What can I say? I'm more than willing to suspend my disbelief; so long as the director makes an effort, I'm there. :-) Then, as Lucius' (Joaquin Phoenix) strangeness was revealed, I began to suspect that his aura, which Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard) refused to elaborate on, was red, and that he was somehow associated with "those whom they wouldn't speak of." Yeah, far-fetched, I know, but it made for great fun.
