mental health

NINE DAYS: Beautiful & Heartbreaking, Edson Oda's Brilliant Debut Stares From The Abyss
NINE DAYS: Beautiful & Heartbreaking, Edson Oda’s Brilliant Debut Stares From The Abyss

Written and directed by Edson Oda in his directorial debut, Nine Days is as thoughtful as it is beautiful, as heartbreaking as it is jovial.

DEFINITION PLEASE: A Layered Depiction of Family, Freedom and Mental Illness
DEFINITION PLEASE: A Layered Depiction of Family, Freedom and Mental Illness

Definition Please allows viewers to transcend the boundaries of culture and see themselves in the characters and in their emotions.

LETTERS TO DANIEL: Messy But Important
LETTERS TO DANIEL: Messy But Important

Letters to Daniel is pretty uneven at times, but the story it is telling is important and engrossing.

SHIRLEY: A Haunted Portrait Of Feminine Darkness
SHIRLEY: A Haunted Portrait Of Feminine Darkness

Shirley, as a story, can be unpacked in layers and layers and layers. It’s elegantly built and complex in its structure.

EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF: A Raw and Vulnerable Documentary that is Not to Be Missed
EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF: A Raw & Vulnerable Documentary That Is Not To Be Missed

There is a catharsis In El Father Plays Himself that is achieved through witnessing truth, witnessing the process – one that is not easily forgotten.

More Sad Than Enraged: The Ancillary Despair Of FURY
More Sad Than Enraged: The Ancillary Despair Of FURY

We look back at David Ayer’s 2014 war film Fury, and the deeper themes of anger mixed with sadness expressed throughout.

LAST CALL: Answer The Call For This Suicide Drama

Gavin Michael Booth faultlessly achieves the split-screen/single-take technique, while also exploring the matter of suicide with unadorned honesty.

SWALLOW: The Limits Of Control
SWALLOW: The Limits Of Control

Carried by a brilliant performance from Bennett, Swallow is a disturbingly effective psychological study focused on the extreme lengths one will go to declare independence in the face of oppression.

MANARA: Highlights Lebanon’s Increasing Mental Health Crisis
MANARA: Highlights Lebanon’s Increasing Mental Health Crisis

Manara is a thoughtful and quietly powerful short film, and feels particularly timely, deserving to be a part of the conversation

HORSE GIRL: Hysteria, Horses & Heritage
HORSE GIRL: Hysteria, Horses & Heritage

Unfolding like a fever dream with strong performances throughout, Caitlin Kennedy reckons that Horse Girl is well worth each twisting moment.

THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN: The Act Of Definition
THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN: The Act Of Definition

The Professor and the Madman limps out as a woefully half-baked and overcooked spectacle that mistakes reality for relevance.

WHAT'S YOUR AILMENT?!: Maria Bamford Wants To Talk About Mental Health
WHAT’S YOUR AILMENT?!: Maria Bamford Wants To Talk About Mental Health

Whether it’s about Star Wars or politics, What’s Your Ailment is an escape, and one that’s quietly revolutionary.

No Sympathy For The Shooter: Contrasting TARGETS (1968) & JOKER (2019) In An Era Of Mass Shootings
The Joker’s Smile, Part 1: The 20th Century’s Most Adaptable Character

In this three-part exploration of everyone’s favorite “agent of chaos,” we’ll explore how the Joker has become the newest champion of the 99%.

SYSTEM CRASHER: Broken Hearts & Broken Jaws
SYSTEM CRASHER: Broken Hearts & Broken Jaws

A story of heartbreak bandaged up by rebellion, System Crasher will wrench your heart out of your chest and stomp all over it.

Talking With Gabriela Ledesma & Callie Schuttera About The Making Of Their Film BLUE

Jacqui Blue spoke with Gabriela Ledesma & Callie Schuttera about the making of their film Blue, their writing decisions, mental health, and more.