Mental health has never been of higher priority than it is at this point of the twenty-first century. Awareness of disabilities, cognitive instability, and depression are now talked about more than ever, which most can probably agree, is a good thing. Mental illness is now even making its way into the movie industry in a more positive light. One of the latest examples is the recently released Words on Bathroom Walls, adapted from the original novel by Julia Walton. This fresh new story tackles a less talked about mental ailment that people all over the world deal with regularly: schizophrenia.
One of the latest examples is the recently released Words on Bathroom Walls, adapted from the original novel by Julia Walton.
Adam is a bright young man, almost finished with high school, and hoping to someday make it as a chef by first attending culinary school. During the early half of his senior year, an incident sees Adam expelled from school, soon after to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. He’s then given one more chance to finish school in order to keep his goals alive when his parents enroll him into a catholic school where he meets Maya, a highly intelligent and tenacious young girl of whom he takes a liking to. He must now manage his symptoms, grind out the rest of his senior year, and do all he can to keep his condition secret with the ambition of being taken seriously and not letting his situation define him as a person. Thor Fruendenthal directs and produces this unorthodox narrative, painting a much broader picture while pulling the curtain back on the misconceptions of mental illness.
Fruendenthal’s vision for this adaptation is as if the entire audience is reading the book and truly seeing their imaginations come to life onscreen. The visuals are stunning, and the editing is sublime. The actors are completely on point, not a false note out of anyone. Charlie Plummer chalks up another solid performance as ‘Adam’, adding yet another credential to his ever growing resume’ in these ‘coming of age’ type roles. Taylor Russell extracts laughs and draws tears, being equivalently alluring as his co-star, playing Maya. AnnaSophia Robb, Devon Bostick, and Lobo Sebastian are a jovial bunch as Adam’s hallucinations, playing their parts with an amusing and motivating purpose. Julia Walton’s source material should take most of the accolade, with Nick Nevada right behind her having adapted her book into the screenplay. The stars aligned entirely to make this movie what it is, everyone doing their part, and exceeding expectations.
There’re countless individuals dealing with mental illness on a daily basis who are afraid to share their experiences. Movies like this will spawn similar stories that are dying to be told and they’ll break down the barriers of the numerous misunderstandings that befall that of mental illness. There are many unfounded assumptions on conditions like schizophrenia, and Words on Bathroom Walls is the proper means of expression to eradicate these mistakes in thinking. Be a part of the shifting changes in culture, and see this movie. It’s now available on Amazon Prime in select territories.
