Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)

Living with schizophrenia is a conundrum that hasn't been solved. There's no cure and modern society does not make space for the people suffering from this disorder. Adam, the main character and the one living with schizophrenia, has a consistent dialogue with his therapist throughout the film, where he speaks openly about his struggles. We never actually see this therapist though. At one point Adam talks about how he's scared to end up as some crazy homeless person yelling at nobody. He talks straight to the camera. It's a purposeful and brilliant move on the directors part to put us in this chair. They have no answers and we have no answers. How do we solve this problem? The hopelessness of this issue and of Adams story weigh heavily. Adam had an episode in his public high school that led to him being expelled. His mom and step-dad get him enrolled in a private catholic school, where he has one last chance to graduate in hopes of living a normal life. This is the new standard for future coming-of-age films. It's an emotional wrecking ball that's not always perfect but when it hits, it hits home. There's a lot of great characters and moments. For example there's three 'imaginary friends' that Adam sees constantly that are all a lot of fun to watch. As well as a dark, booming voice that accompanies Adam's anxiety attacks. This is not a movie you've seen before, even if it does manage to hit come coming-of-age cliches. Most considerably it's U.S poster that makes it look like a romance film. This is not just that. It's way more.

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