Possibly in Michigan (1983) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place primarily in an empty department store in Michigan, where the two main characters Sharon and Janice are shopping for perfume. The setting shifts to their apartment as the story progresses and the danger follows them home.

• michigan
• department store
• setting
• location
• shopping mall

The film is set in the contemporary era of the early 1980s, matching its 1983 release date. The modern shopping mall and apartment settings reflect the time period.

• 1980s
• time period
• contemporary era
• 1983

Arthur wears multiple literal masks throughout the film, symbolizing how people hide their true selves. The voiceover notes he has forgotten his identity, and the film plays with the idea of transformation, like a frog becoming a prince, showing how appearances can mask dangerous intentions.

• masks
• identity
• transformation
• arthur
• theme

The women initially face violence as victims, but they ultimately seize control. Janice fatally shoots Arthur, and both Sharon and Janice dismember his body in a ritual act. This transforms the predator into prey and represents the women reclaiming agency in a world of performative danger.

• female empowerment
• agency
• violence
• revenge
• sharon
• janice

Arthur, also called Prince Charming, is the masked antagonist who stalks Sharon and Janice. He embodies predatory charm and volatility, wearing multiple masks while attempting to control and consume his victims. He represents dangerous deception disguised as attractiveness.

• arthur
• prince charming
• cannibal
• antagonist
• stalker

Sharon and Janice are the two young women who meet while shopping at a department store and become targets of Arthur's pursuit. Sharon has a reputation for attracting violent men, while Janice responds to the threat with decisive action, ultimately killing Arthur. Their shared trauma and subsequent act of vengeance create a bond between them.

• sharon
• janice
• main characters
• female protagonists

The film blends musical numbers with horror, creating a surreal atmosphere where song and violence coexist. It uses distorted speech, dreamlike visuals, and uncanny imagery to blur the line between illusion and real danger. This fusion of fantasy imagery with graphic violence creates an unsettling, avant-garde viewing experience.

• musical
• horror
• surreal
• genre
• avant-garde
• style

Arthur is established as a cannibal who consumes his victims. After killing him, Sharon and Janice engage in a macabre ritual of dismemberment, literally consuming and repurposing his remains. This act of cannibalistic revenge serves as a grim assertion of power over their attacker.

• cannibalism
• cannibal
• ritual
• revenge
• consumption

While Arthur is killed and the immediate threat eliminated, the film ends with the appearance of another masked figure. This suggests the cycle of violence and predation may continue, leaving the resolution ambiguous. The film implies that such threats exist in a world where predatory men mask their true nature.

Foreshadowing: The voiceover about masks and forgotten identity foreshadows that this violence is part of a larger pattern.

• ending
• cycle of violence
• ambiguous
• masked figure
• resolution