This is a superb movie in all aspects - writing, acting, directing.
I’m surprised there is no mention of the fact that the fatal flaw is that the parents REMOVED their son from the hospital, despite the expert advice from the hospital psychiatrist.
It is common for a mentally ill person to play on the heartstrings of his loved ones, causing his well meaning parents to acquiesce.
What troubled me was WHY did his father continue to keep the rifle at home, once he became aware that Nicholas knew of its whereabouts.
To me, the metaphor of the washing machine running was profound; suicidal ideation going round and round in Nicholas’ head.