SPOILERS AHEAD (obviously)…
Ariana Grande’s music video for her hit, “hate that i made you love me” has received a lot of attention. Starring herself alongside Justin Long and directed by Christian Breslauer, the video tells a story of unintentional obsession and the lingering psychological effects of a relationship. The use of genre and cinematography drive the interest of this video, as it presents itself as, not simply a music video, but a cinematic experience.
There are several layers of the “hate that i made you love me” music video that build intrigue. While Grande drops hints and surprises regarding her album, Petal, which houses the song featured in this video, there are also embedded meanings within the narrative that align with the song itself. This music video tells a complex narrative full of deep themes and tasteful surprises through its cinematography, utilization of the horror genre, character building, and hints about Grande’s work.
Mirrored Image
Justin Long takes a shovel full of dirt and throws it at the camera, creating the opening shot of the video. When the camera pans down, a grave site is revealed with a secret room beneath it. Justin Long’s character is burying this room with Ariana Grande’s character inside. When he drives away from the site, he seems relieved until he finds her again, inside his car and then in front of it, causing a crash. He emerges from this only to find her everywhere he goes, haunting him continuously.
Eventually, he ends up back at the grave site, digging again in order to enter the secret room himself. He is successful in doing this, only to find that Ariana Grande’s character is now outside the grave, burying him inside instead, triggering the final shot of Grande throwing a shovel full of dirt at the camera. This mirrored image symbolizes the role reversal that takes place in the video as well as the ultimate plot where Justin Long’s character attempts to bury his past relationship but it continues to haunt him until he ends up buried with it. The use of imagery and cinematography in the video remains pinnacle as the horror genre is prominent throughout it.
The Haunting of an Ex
Horror plays a pertinent role in this music video, as the imagery drives home the idea of an individual driven to madness from being haunted by their past. Their obsession with this relationship that has ended ultimately consumes them entirely. The dingey-looking basement that lies underneath the grave site is a classic example of horror imagery, with the boxes seen in the background labeled ‘monsters,’ ‘trauma,’ and ‘things I should’ve said’ furthering the spooky mood in addition to the notebook labeled, ‘insecurities’ with pages covered with scribbles and harsh-looking writing.
Another horror element can be found when Justin Long’s character spots Ariana Grande’s character in his rearview mirror, but when he whips around to look she is gone. When he turns back around to face the road, she is spotted again in front of his vehicle. He runs the truck right through her and she evaporates like a ghost, but out of panic he flips the car over, resulting in a fiery crash. He emerges from the vehicle and attempts to flea the scene, but Grande’s character follows him hauntingly.
Later in the video, Justin Long’s character throws memorabilia from his relationship with Ariana Grande’s character into a fireplace, but, in doing so, accidentally lights himself on fire. This moment mixes dark comedy with horror, adding another layer to the narrative. Charred and exasperated, Long’s character then stumbles into a diner, only to find that the entire staff and group of patrons at the restaurant look just like his ex-lover. The prevalence of the horror genre in this music video powerfully demonstrates the unsettling effects obsession and past trauma can have on an individual. Justin Long’s character attempts to bury his past, but no matter how hard he tries to forget, this relationship continues to haunt him. When he eventually caves and burrows back into that past, it ultimately buries him.
A Peak into the Grande-verse
Grande lends a few surprises to her fanbase with this video, dropping hints about her album that contains the video’s featured song. When Long’s character manically tosses memorabilia from his past relationship into his fireplace, on of the items is a plate that reads, “happy 8th anniversary.” While this implies that the character’s relationship was eight years long, it is likely no coincidence that the time of this video marks her eighth studio album being released.
A noticeably bright sign reads, ‘Bunny Hop Diner’ above the restaurant where Long’s character is haunted by his ex in every person he sees. This is likely an homage to a track on Grande’s album titled, “bad thing (bunny hop).” Additionally, Grande’s first appearance in the diner is as a server pouring coffee. Her nametag reads, ‘Petal,’ the same name as her new album that contains the song, “hate that i made you love me.” These easter eggs may also hint that Grande will continue to leave similar surprises in future works.
