While at its center the film is a heartfelt, coming-of-age drama, it carries a darker tone hiding just beneath the surface.
Avoid the trailer if you can. And, for the record, I love movie trailers.
I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to view Thor Freudenthal’s latest film Words on Bathroom Walls prior to the film’s release this Friday. Prior to receiving the invitation, I had not heard of the film — nor the book it is based on. In most cases, I do a little research on a film before I watch it for the first time. For someone that enjoys escaping into a good story, I seized an opportunity to go into the screening blind. And, as it turns out, I am so glad that I did.
Words on Bathroom Walls welcomes you into the mind of a teenager beginning with what will be a life-long struggle with paranoid schizophrenia. It’s terrifying. As an unprepared viewer, I thought perhaps I just committed to a horror film. I believe this mindset is exactly what novelist Julia Walton, screenwriter Nick Naveda, and director Freudenthal were after.
The film’s narrative takes you through the early stages of the disease and effectively places you in the shoes of the main character, Adam (played by Charlie Plummer). The viewer experiences a break of reality along with Adam. While it is easy to recognize the break as it begins from a spectator’s perspective, when you immerse yourself into the story it becomes infinitely more frightening. While at its center the film is a heartfelt, coming-of-age drama, it carries a darker tone hiding just beneath the surface. This tone creates a paranoia within the viewer; always waiting for the narrative to take a sudden shift into the darkness. The anticipation of something terrible is key to best understand the film’s message.
If I had seen the trailer beforehand, nearly all of the discoveries I experienced would have been ruined. In the trailer, you are witness to far too much of the film’s climax and, even more surprising, the denouement. Even if you have read the book, I’d recommend refraining from watching the trailer until after a first viewing so you can enjoy the film to its full potential.
Standout performances are delivered by Taylor Russell and Walton Goggins. Plummer does a great job as well along with his three well-defined hallucinations played by AnnaSophia Robb, Devon Bostick, and Lobo Sebastian. Despite Adam’s condition, Plummer’s performance is very kind. I could see a person dealing with what Adam is going through being understandably hardened and acting out more, but Adam shows more respect and empathy for those around him than most teenagers without his condition.
Andy Garcia also plays a small, however, pivotal role as Father Patrick, a priest that provides Adam guidance. It is in the confessional where Adam begins to open up about his frustration. While we only see Father Patrick engage with Adam throughout the film, I enjoyed Garcia’s clear ability to connect with teens by truly listening and embracing the challenge of Adam.
If you’re looking for an independent character-driven coming-of-age drama with a side of comedy and romance, I highly recommend Words on Bathroom Walls. To learn more about the film, visit wordsonbathroomwallsmovie.com, but remember to skip the trailer until after you’ve seen the film.
