Images Courtesy of Netflix.
Yesterday, I came home from work and wanted to just chill out and relax. The weather has been getting colder and is the perfect weather for getting cozy and movie watching. So, I turned on Netflix and scrolled through until I found something I thought would hold my attention. After a quick preview of 1922, I was sold.
Something about the preview said watch me and I am glad I did. It was the perfect movie to sum up how karma works.
1922 is a novella by Stephen King, published in his collection Full Dark, No Stars (2010).
Shop | 1922 Kindle Edition
Shop | Full Dark, No Stars Kindle Edition
1922 Netflix Original Movie
The movie begins with a family of three (husband, wife, and a 14-year-old-son) living in the country in Nebraska. The wife’s father had passed away and left her 100 acres of land including a home and farm in addition to the 80 acres that had been in the husband’s (Wilfred James) family for generations. She (Arletta) did not want to live a country life and wanted to move to Omaha and start her own dress shop.
Her husband did not want that. Instead, he wanted the home, land, and farm. His motivation for life had become keeping the home and land by any means necessary. He did not care if it meant someone getting hurt; or even murdered.
In addition to the husband’s motivation to keep the home and land, their son grew fond of a girl his age (Shannon) and also did not want to move to Omaha.
During this time, the mother made a proposition to the father which entailed her selling the land, splitting the money with her husband, and getting divorced so that they could go their separate ways. The husband did not like the idea. He wanted the home and land entirely.
I’m sure you can guess how the movie played out.
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In short, the father convinced the son (Henry “Hank”) that murdering the mother was the only way they could live their life. One night after a celebration, the father and son killed the mother and eventually buried her in a well filled with rats gnawing at her, her suitcase, the bloody mattress, and a farm cow.
Needless to say, life was not great for them afterwards. The son ended up running away with his pregnant girlfriend and going on a bank-robbing spree which eventually left them both dead.
The father, Wilfred eventually becomes delusional and claims to see the living corpse of his dead wife, Arletta. Arletta tells Wilfred of all the trouble that the son had been through. He asks Arletta to please kill him, but she tells him no, not until she is satisfied. As 1922 continues, Alfred ended up losing his hand, his son, his friend, the land, etc.
The movie ends with Alfred sitting in a room being invaded by rats as he writes his confession of the year 1922.
In Summary
I was not disappointed by the film at all. It captured my attention from the very beginning and held my attention the entire way through. Personally, I feel this is the perfect story of how karma works. You cannot be devious to someone and expect good in return. Alfred knowingly committed a terrible crime and lived the rest of his short-lived life paying for it. While he was not legally found guilty of any crime, his conscience got the best of him.
Will you be watching 1922 or reading the novella anytime soon?
This post contains recommended links to versions of 1922 by Stephen King.
