Ma.

Angelica Ballesteros
BS Psychology 3A

"Doll House" Film Analysis

Before seeing the movie, audiences should be aware that Doll House is a melancholy tale of a
drug addict who seeks forgiveness by going back to the daughter he abandoned. He spends time with
his little daughter while sober, unaware that he is her biological father, in between scenes of drug and
alcohol usage. A man overdoses and after being hospitalized, another man survives one. A man appears
to be intellectually damaged after having a stroke.
Rustin is a reckless drug user in Doll House and a shockingly untalented singer in a Filipino
band. We discover through flashbacks and flashforwards that he formerly resided in Rotterdam, where
he wed Sheena, a wonderful woman who left him due to his obstinately wayward behavior. Later, in a
series of flashbacks, we find out that Sheena had his daughter and had been raising the child with a
Dutch guy up until they both passed away in a car accident. Yumi is being cared for by Rachel, who
was Sheena's best friend before she passed away, and by Bok, another close friend. Rustin travels to
Rotterdam after learning of a bandmate's overdose death in an effort to reconnect with his daughter who
was left behind. When he encounters Yumi and Bok on the street, he adopts a fake name. Bok requests
the complete stranger to watch Yumi, which is absurd. Rustin keeps abusing alcohol and drugs,
behaving in a way that gives parents of young children watching these nightmares. The present day,
where the grown-up Yumi eventually discovers the truth about her father, is where the film opens and
ends.
The main character which is Rustin is a musician who has allowed his addiction to control him.
He witnesses the death of a close friend and decides he needs to clean up his act. Rustin wants to make
amends for abandoning his pregnant wife. He befriends the family in order to get closer to his daughter
without revealing his identity. This is the bright spot in his life that he has been looking for. Yumi is
Rustin's daughter, whom he abandoned before she was born. She believes her parents died in a car
accident and that she was raised by her uncle and auntie. Yumi was raised in a loving family with a
positive attitude toward life. Bok, who is a member of the family that raised Yumi, is pleased to have
another Filipino living nearby. While Yumi's new mother is gone, he allows Rustin to help out in his
home.
The genre of the absent father is frequently explored. Most stories, on the other hand, manage to make
us feel something. Rustin and Yumi have some endearing moments in the Netflix film Doll House
(2022). He never tells her that he is her biological father. She refers to him as Uncle. They bond so
quickly, however, that people refer to them as father-daughter. When Rustin starts babysitting Yumi,
the film becomes more interesting. From playing together to taking singing lessons, the duo has brought
us joy. However, when his identity is revealed (as it should be), the climax twist is unexpected.
In the lead role, Baron Geisler is outstanding; he conveys the troubled life he has led, the regret he feels
for missing a portion of it, and the desperate desire to reclaim it. During this performance, Althea
Ruedas is filled with all the joy in the world. Other notable performances include Phi Palmos as Yumi's
overly friendly Uncle. I was so invested in Yumi's feelings for Rustin that I wanted to see her reaction
when she discovered the truth. But the creators did not allow this to happen.
I'm personally attached to this film, possibly because I yearn for the love of a biological father but life
hasn't provided it for me. I also enjoyed listening to the music used in the film, "Pangako" by Regine
Velasquez, because it was my late mother's favorite song, so it piqued my interest. The song was used
appropriately during the moving scenes.
 This story aims to touch readers' emotions since it explores people's regrets. People must face
difficulties in order to correct their faults. Despite some of the ideas being risky, this is the truthful side
of the story. Due to the way Rustin approached this, he would be subject to criminal prosecution. The
most crucial aspect is the notion that an addict could be able to locate a spot where he could experience
a brief period of purity, which might help him. Overall, the Netflix film Doll House is heartfelt and
bittersweet, especially when the father-daughter scenes take center stage. I wish the climax wasn't so
unimpressive and uninteresting. Otherwise, it's a good film for anyone looking for something heart-
warming to watch.