WARNING! Spoilers for Into the Dark: My Valentine ahead.
My Valentine, Hulu’s latest entry in its Into the Dark horror anthology series tackles the many emotions associated with Valentine’s Day, but its claustrophobic story culminates in a real whopper of an ending.
Hulu’s Into the Dark series sinks its teeth into a different holiday for each of its monthly installments and the show’s second season is turning out to be even more satisfying than the first. With a year of stories already under its belt, many of the approaches that Into the Dark applies to these holidays the second time around are even more unexpected and challenging than what transpired in season one. In addition to how Into the Dark gives genre fans a new horror film each month, the series is always a wonderful opportunity for fresher filmmakers to get a big break in the industry. My Valentine’s writer/director, Maggie Levin, is the latest to get this treatment.
Levin’s Into the Dark: My Valentine presents an incredibly timely story that explores a case of stolen identity. Trezzure (Anna Lore) is the latest pop star to rise in fame, only her entire look and vibe is a carbon copy of Valentine (Britt Baron), the former flavor of the month. At the center of Valentine and Trezzure is Royal (Benedict Samuel), a music manager who’s been romantically linked to both of these women. Royal submitted Valentine to a toxic relationship full of abuse and gaslighting, and she sees him doing the exact same thing to Trezzure now. Royal attempts to create one unforgettable evening as he locks the three of them into a club on Valentine’s Day with the hopes of expanding on this twisted trio in new ways. However, what follows is much more than what any of them could have anticipated.
Is It Valentine Or Trezzure That Becomes Pop Queen?
As the tension mounts in My Valentine, Royal spends a lot of time offing the negative and suspicious influences in his life, like Valentine’s friend, Julie (Anna Akana), and individuals from the music industry like Eddie and Nick. During this Valentine tries to open Trezzure’s eyes to how manipulative Royal is and break her free from the same cycle that trapped her for so long. Trezzure finally sees Royal at his worst and she gets to be the one that ends him by brutally bludgeoning him with a mic stand. With Royal out of their lives, it looks like Valentine and Trezzure may able to put their baggage behind them and find a way to co-exist. Unfortunately, it’s during this moment of freedom that this hopeful ending of empowerment fizzles out.
After everything that Valentine has done for Trezzure, Trezzure still refuses to give her back her identity and if anything attempts to seize it more than ever before. When push comes to shove, Valentine applies some quick thinking and electrocutes Trezzure. In the end, it’s just Valentine that survives, but as she rids herself of Trezzure she’s also able to shed her fake pop star persona and truly be herself. The loss of Trezzure is tragic and speaks to how there’s still poison in the world, but Valentine’s evolution is at least positive. The world was definitely big enough for the both of these performers, but unfortunately Trezzure had to push things and she pays the ultimate price as a result.
The Real Meaning Of My Valentine’s Ending
Hulu’s Into the Dark: My Valentine filters itself through the glitzy world of the music industry, but at its core are some very important themes. Both Valentine and Trezzure’s struggles tell a touching story about female empowerment and how women can help each other out to recognize and escape from toxic patterns and the poor decisions in their lives. There’s a very important message here, but what’s even more significant is the twist that Trezzure rejects Valentine’s olive branch. It speaks to how even though Valentine can let bygones be bygones, there’s still plenty of negativity in the world that will try to drag people like her down. Valentine finds her independence by the conclusion of this Into the Dark installment, but her road ahead as a performer may not be easy.
Next: Into The Dark: Pilgrim’s Ending Explained
