>I did not like any of the characters

You're not really supposed to

>There were a few plot holes in the movie

No there weren't

> You’re not really supposed to.

Maybe. Maybe not.

> No there weren’t.

How is the protagonist claiming to have ESP in the third act pushing the story forward? What does the protagonist brother-in-law do to make enough money to own a castle and golf course? How on Earth does the astronomy-informed brother-in-law not know about Melancholia’s “death dance”? How did the bride break the news to the groom, resulting in their breakup?

These are a few issues I’m having. If you can answer these that’d be great

None of those are plot holes

You should read reviews about it and interviews with the director. They cover it quite well.

Here's a spoiler: people who are depressed don't react to crises the way non depressed people do.

I don't think the point was to like them. The shining character on display here is more the existentialism. I don't think the movie is necessarily asking us to identify, relate or sympathize with any of them as much as it is to grapple with how we would react in the same situation if we were in it. It gives us a far more intense experience watching.

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The specific form of "mystical" power which Justine has is precognition. And she's always had it. That's the root of her depression: She knows how things are doomed to run their course...always.

That's why she agrees to get married and throws the big gathering, even though she knows the world is going to end and she doesn't really love her husband. She wants to get everyone who is important to her (her family and business associates) together in one place, so she can finally confront them one final time.

She believes everything is meaningless, and that there will be nothing after the End of The World. So she decides to be cruel and ruthless in addressing existence, and telling people exactly what she thinks of them.

But the point of the entire film is that, when it comes down to the Big Crash, she doesn't have it in her to torture her innocent nephew with "Reality." Instead, she comes to recognize the sustaining power of Family Connectedness --as she helps construct a "magical protective cave of branches" on the golf course in which she sits with her nephew and sister, holding hands and commiserating as their existence ends.

And the opening sequence which shows us her precognitive Dream of The End actually reveals that she might be wrong about there being Nothingness in aftermath.

The big Clue to that being the case is that, in that opening premonition, Justine is carrying a golf flag --for the 19th Hole. There are, of course, only 18 Holes on a golf course. So perhaps there's another "whole" that she can't understand or "know."

In other words, you’re glad they all died

It's a common misconception which developed the past years that movie characters must be likeable or gain the audiences sympathy. The director or screenplay writer does not have any obligation to the viewers in that regard. Many good filmmakers make that choice not to create characters which follow that premise because their film has a very different point to make, but are often critizised because of that. It's really annoying imo.

As a depressed person, the overall unlikability of everyone works for me. It puts you in the mind of someone who wants to cut people out of her life and sleep all day. It makes weddings feel artificial and married life feel like a prison. It makes an inbound death planet feel like an escape.

It's not about sympathy. It's about putting you in the headspace of severe depression. If you don't want that experience then that's completely reasonable, and I recommend you skip this movie, because that's the intention and it's very effective at it.

yeah the point is right there in the title.
Maybe I have a bias in knowing the feeling too well but the movie is move about the energy/mood than the characters themselves

The young boy was the only character I cared about when the planet ended. I get that the movie is about depression, but having all of the adult characters be entirely without any redeeming traits was a bit on the try-hard edgelord side for me.

Then again, this Von Trier.

It is almost as though they all suffer from melancholy.

> What does the protagonist brother-in-law do to make enough money to own a castle and golf course?

It was family land passed down for generations. It is a clearly a manor. The staff were sent home after the wedding for the end of the world.

Everyone knows about the "death dance" and he is just a disbeliever that is trying to keep his chronically anxious and depressed wife and sister-in-law from being even worse due by ignoring it/being skeptical. He is obviously a liar, though, and believes it is coming.

Couldn’t agree more.

personally I didn't like it or get it until about 15 minutes after it ended

Then I was in complete awe