Despite the fact that the Other World appears too good to be true, Coraline hesitantly yet enthusiastically continues to visit at the request of her Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) and Other Father (John Hodgman). During one of these trips, Coraline’s creepy, button-eyed “parents” offer her a cake adorned with ornate decorations, self-lighting candles, and right in the center, the words “Welcome Home.” On the surface, this cake with a message on it is nothing to get worked up over unless you’re well-educated in the field of graphology. Then something might catch your attention.
As pointed out by hiddenmoviedetails on TikTok, the appearance of the “o” in “home” tells us a lot about what’s in store for Coraline. As any graphologist will tell you, a double loop when writing in cursive indicates that the person who wrote it is lying. In this case, it cues us in to let us know that Coraline’s supposed new “home” is anything but, and her Other Parents know it. Furthermore, the “o” in “home” only contains one loop since the Other Mother is being genuine when she welcomes her “daughter.” However, as it turns out, that’s because she’s an evil entity known as the Beldam who collects the souls of children.
Thankfully, Coraline makes it out of the Other World unscathed by the end of the film and manages to keep the Beldam at bay for good. Although, had she brushed up on her graphology, perhaps she could have realized something was amiss so much sooner.