I’ve always been drawn to the way that friendship forms a refuge in the grim setting of 'Sally Face'. Larry’s acceptance of Sal isn’t just about his mask; it’s about seeing the trauma and fear beneath it when no one else bothered to look. Their trust is built in these quiet moments—in the apartment stairwell or sharing a cigarette on the roof—where the supernatural horror takes a backseat to just being two damaged kids.
That dynamic gets even more painful when you consider the later twists. The knowledge Sal carries, and the secrets he has to keep from Larry to protect him, turns trust into this fragile, heartbreaking thing. It’s not a perfect, unwavering bond; it’s constantly tested by the cult machinations and Sal’s own doomed fate. The real exploration isn’t just how they build trust, but how they navigate betraying it for what they each believe is the other’s own good. The ending absolutely wrecks me every time because of that.