Some horror fans plainly describe Found (2012) as a coming-of-age movie where a 12-year-old boy finds that his older brother is a serial killer, however, I will forever object to that oversimplification. Let’s begin.

“My brother keeps a human head in his closet. Every few days it’s a new head. Usually, they are black women, but one time he had a white man’s head in there.” -Marty

Marty’s introduction to us was presented in voice-over form, in an eerily intimate tone, yet, in a calm and matter-of-fact manner. Yes, he might have been young but he seemed levelheaded for his age and, also yes, he might have known for a while about his brother’s crimes but he was clearly more concerned with not getting caught for going through his stuff without his permission, than by the fact that he was not reporting to the authorities the horrors of the murders. Marty might have been a perceptive and complicated boy, but he was still a curious one, mystified by his older brother, by his dark secrets, by his perverse power.

The older brother, Steve, flunked out of school but was allowed to stay home if he got a job and paid rent. Although the deal appeared straight-forward, things were not easy at home and arguments were the norm; from Steve’s isolating behavior being perceived as threatening, to his dad’s disapproving of his so called “menial” job at the factory. One way or the other, Steve seemed not to be fully welcomed there, even when he did what he was told and followed his parents house rules.

Both siblings had in common their love for horror movies and it was thanks to this shared passion they were able to maintain a somewhat normal relationship, even if it was a morbid one. The thing they did not have in common? Their attitude toward violence, you see, Marty was bullied at school and did not stand up for himself so, when he told Steve about it, he was instructed to fight back and not allow to be a victim, to what Marty confessed he was afraid of hitting back as the other kid was unfairly bigger than him and had no way of winning. Steve, somewhat frustrated, but clearly resigned about his little brother’s conundrum, reassured him not to worry about it anymore, as in, ever…

… and Marty’s suspicion—not fear, not panic, not regret for potentially having used his homicidal brother as a weapon against his bully, but indeed a suspicion—was soon proven to be correct. The evidence? His bully’s severed head inside Steve’s bowling ball bag. The unspoken agreement was done. Problem solved.

But was Marty really done with trouble? Was his quiet and shy disposition the perfect target for those unsavory characters surrounding him in his day-to-day life? From school, to church, to home? Was Marty ready to accept the fact that he had to, or rather, that he must stand up for himself just as Steve told him to repeatedly? There was only one way to find out, but in the meantime, he slowly tested his limits by sharing a glimpse of his macabre reality with his best friend, David.

And, suddenly, it happened. Marty fought back when provoked, spoke up when disrespected, shouted at when infuriated. But still being the kid that he was, his parents made sure to demand he behaved like the usual good little old Marty they trusted and loved. Marty did not appreciate that, and neither did Steve.

Steve, now kicked out by his parents for defending Marty’s recent violent misbehavior, had one more grievance to deal with them before leaving for good.

When Steve returned home in the middle of the night for the last time to square things off, he asked Marty for a favor: to stay out of his bedroom, Marty’s bedroom, that is, as he needed his bed for being the sturdier of the two. Marty at the beginning could not follow Steve’s request and was defiant, until he realized with shock and horror what Steve was planning to do so he threatened him with calling the police if he did not leave immediately. But Steve did not leave. And the parents were woken up by the commotion. And with that, their fate was prematurely sealed.

What happened next was the most vile, most disgusting turn of events for the parents. (Sidenote: Never had I ever felt so violated as a horror movie viewer. I had zero idea my sensitivities as a woman would be put to test with this film.) A mother being raped by her son, begging him to stop while he shouts in ecstasy that he loves it. A father being tied up on the other room, yelling that if he as much as lays a finger on his mother he would kill him. A son enjoying the very moment he allows his father to see with his own eyes what he did to his wife.

CUT TO:

The aftermath. The following day. Dawn. A still naked Steve, all covered in blood, barefoot, walking out of the home, unaware and unbothered, gone.

The home. The upstairs bedroom. Marty tied up on the bed, his dead parents’ blood splattered on his face and body, talking to himself in silence, calm and unbothered, gone.

“I look at mom and I look at dad, and they scream at me with their empty eyes. My mind wants to scream and kick and freak out, but I keep myself under control. If I lose it now, I might not come back for a long, long time. Stuff like this can really warp a person.” -Marty

10/10 do recommend for those of us with thick skin.

Now streaming on Tubi.

In Love and Fear,

—Marath