Masters of Horror: Episode 5 Chocolate

Chocolate is directed by show-runner Mick Garris, the guy behind most of the Stephen King mini-series. If you told me that this was written by Stephen King, I wouldn't be surprised, but Garris himself is credited as the sole writer here. Presumably, he learned a thing or two from King.

The episode is told in flashback by a man named Jamie (Henry Thomas), who just committed a murder. He's explaining the events leading up to the murder to the police. I suspect the notion of an unreliable narrator was intentional here, as the story he tells sounds like something a stalker would come up with to justify his actions.

Jamie was living an unfulfilled life, surrounded by fulfillment. In his job he developed artificial flavors for snack foods, but he was on a diet. He was also sexually and artistically unfulfilled following his divorce, while his friend and co-worker Wally (the always magnificent Matt Frewer) indulged in all the pleasures he could ever want.

Jamie's tedium is interrupted, though, when he begins empathically experiencing the life of a female artist named Catherine (Lucie Laurier). It begins with the simple taste of chocolate in his mouth before the experiences expand to encompass episodes in which he experiences all five senses.

I suppose since none of this is Jamie's intention, we can't really criticize his morality at experiencing her life without her knowledge. For a time, at least, this seems beneficial to Jamie. Experiencing her life drives him to experience his own more fully, and he's able to get laid and indulge in junk food again without the guilt he experienced before.

However, these episodes also become dangerous. He experiences her sight while driving, and nearly dies because he can't see the road. His ex-wife and child also walk in on him with another woman in his bedroom because he's experiencing Catherine's sex with her boyfriend at the time, and can't intercept them before they enter (why they walk away from him when he appears to be having a seizure I don't claim to understand).

Then, Catherine's boyfriend turns abusive, and Jamie experiences Catherine murdering him. This incident convinces Jamie that he has to track her down. As with Jenifer I find myself uncertain how I should feel about the protagonist at this point, and I suspect the framing narrative was intended to leave us questioning that. The fact that Catherine is willing to hear the full story from a man who shows up unannounced at her apartment, and uses phrases like “sometimes I'm inside of you,” is just downright bizarre. She then gives the impression of falling for him before turning violent, and in his words “makes him” kill her.

I'm not sure what the episode is trying to say, exactly. Perhaps that jealousy and desire should drive us to fulfill our own lives, but we should separate those feelings from the people who we feel them for. Or maybe it's just a really creepy idea for a scary story. Either interpretation works.

The best part of the episode is unquestionably Wally. Frewer creates a beautiful portrayal of a man determined to enjoy every second of his life. He eats whatever he wants without gaining weight. He also plays in a rock band, despite being old enough to know he'll never make it big, just because it's fun. He's attained complete personal fulfillment without the need for outside input.

The idea of empathically experiencing the emotions of others in this way is kind of creepy. Even if everything we're told is true we can still see where Catherine would want to stop a complete stranger from experiencing her life by any means necessary. Overall, though, I'd say the episode works best if we just assume that Jamie is crazy and killed Catherine when she rejected him. It leaves some questions open, like what really happened to her boyfriend, and why he drove so far to find an object of obsession, but I think these questions play very well in our imaginations. This episode should be included in any viewing of Masters of Horror.