Words on Bathroom Walls
Movies watched in 2023
Words on Bathroom Walls (2020, USA)
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Writer: Nick Naveda
Mini-review:
I was a bit worried before watching this movie, because most films don't know how to handle the topic of schizophrenia at all. Still, I really like both lead actors, so I decided to give it a chance and I'm glad I did. I think the movie treats this illness with great respect, as it tries to put the focus on the issues and problems the people suffering from it have to deal with, instead of glorifying or romanticizing the whole thing. It also adds the right amount of humor to the story, so that's it's not too grim, but not too lighthearted either. Sure, sometimes it's a little bit cheesy, but I think it makes the movie feel very charming. The two leads, Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell, give brilliant performances. They perfectly capture that natural awkwardness that teenagers usually exude, and they have great chemistry too. Plummer in particular has a couple of really, really good monologues/speeches. They are very emotional, and he makes sure they never sound preachy or phony.
To sum up, Words on Bathroom Walls is a surprisingly respectful movie that sensitively tackles some pretty serious issues.
