Synopsis

A young woman moves through a crowded city as if trapped outside ordinary time, her contorted movements and desperate gestures ignored by everyone around her. Her isolation briefly breaks when she puts on a Maggot Mask, summoning Slipknot into her fractured reality. The band members appear first in their familiar masks, then reveal pale death masks before dancing with her. As a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, the illusion gives way to despair, ending with the woman screaming and tearing at her hair.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Los Angeles in late August 2004, alongside the video for "Vermilion Pt. 2."

• The woman is played by actress Janna Bossier, who also appears in the "Vermilion Pt. 2" video.

• The Maggot Mask is a reference to Slipknot's name for the band's fans. In the video, it functions as a gateway into the woman's imagined connection with the group.

• The pale masks worn by the band are known as death masks. They were designed to resemble the members' real faces and became associated with live performances of "Vermilion" as well.

• The use of blurred passersby, jerky movement, and surreal imagery emphasizes the woman's disconnection from the surrounding world rather than presenting the song as a conventional performance clip.

• The "Vermilion" video was included with the European CD single and later appeared on the 2006 video release "Voliminal: Inside the Nine."

• The video and "Vermilion Pt. 2" form a linked visual pair. The first clip presents the character's distress and imagined escape, while the second shifts to a quieter, more ambiguous aftermath.