Living with mental illness is obviously not an easy undertaking. This is true of the person with the diagnosis and it’s true for the people surrounding them. We are so happy to share our Words on Bathroom Walls Review with you because we found the movie hopeful and we wanted to share why.
Words on Bathroom Walls Review
Words on the Bathroom Walls tells the story of Adam Petrazelli (Charlie Plummer), as well as his family and friends, coming to grips with Adam’s schizophrenia. The story, based off the novel of the same name by Julia Walton, is relatable and real and gut wrenching. The screenplay by Nick Naveda never backs down on the painfulness of Adam’s life. Adam is scared. But so is his mother (Molly Parker), stepfather (Walton Goggins), friend (Taylor Russell), and church officials (Andy Garcia and Beth Grant). At the same time, his hallucinations (AnnaSophia Robb, Devon Bostick, Lobo Sebastian and Jared Bankens) are having the time of their lives. It is an eye-opening look into the world of schizophrenia.
There is a scene where Adam compares his diagnosis with that of a cancer victim. He correctly states that people flock to a cancer patient and that they can’t wait to get away from a schizophrenic. It’s an awful realization. Perhaps director Thor Freudenthal’s movie will make us see schizophrenia in a different light.
Teen movies have a deft way with dealing with real world problems in a slightly easier manner than actual real life. There is levity amidst the harshness. Words on Bathroom Walls illustrates this like other young adult classics such as The Fault in Our Stars, Love Simon, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
This movie, at times, is hard to take. The realities of schizophrenia are scary. Words on Bathroom Walls never diminishes Adam’s illness. It meets it head on. Yet, the movie is also is hopeful. And we could all use some hope about now.
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