#nick naveda

Movies watched in 2023

Words on Bathroom Walls (2020, USA)

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Writer: Nick Naveda

Mini-review:

I was a bit worried before watching this movie, because most films don't know how to handle the topic of schizophrenia at all. Still, I really like both lead actors, so I decided to give it a chance and I'm glad I did. I think the movie treats this illness with great respect, as it tries to put the focus on the issues and problems the people suffering from it have to deal with, instead of glorifying or romanticizing the whole thing. It also adds the right amount of humor to the story, so that's it's not too grim, but not too lighthearted either. Sure, sometimes it's a little bit cheesy, but I think it makes the movie feel very charming. The two leads, Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell, give brilliant performances. They perfectly capture that natural awkwardness that teenagers usually exude, and they have great chemistry too. Plummer in particular has a couple of really, really good monologues/speeches. They are very emotional, and he makes sure they never sound preachy or phony.

Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)

Directed by Thor Freudenthal

Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)

dir. Thor Freudenthal / DP Michael Goi

Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)

The best way to de-stigmatize mental illness is to talk about it openly, and "Words on Bathroom Walls" is an earnest exercise in starting the uncomfortable conversation.

Teenage romances are a dime a dozen, but “Words on Bathroom Walls” takes the genre and gives it a smart, insightful spin. Nothing about this story is of the cookie-cutter variety, and it’s one of the more interesting films I’ve seen this year.

Adam (Charlie Plummer) is a typical high schooler who has big dreams of becoming a chef. He started cooking when his dad walked out on his mom (Molly…