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Jagged Mind (2023)

Jagged Mind (2023)

A conventional and monotonous psychological thriller that teases lots of strong ideas just below the surface.

6.2

Movie

United States of America
English
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
2023
KELLEY KALI
Casey Ford Alexander, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Kate Szekely
88 min

TLDR

Early warning signs of a toxic, gaslighting partner #23615: wears a giant, blood-red jewel around her neck to a child's birthday party. Girl, run.

What it's about

A woman struggles to make sense of her hallucinations and failing memory after she starts a relationship with a mysterious new girlfriend.

The take

Built on promising ideas revolving around toxic relationships, exploitation of Black bodies, and a fading African heritage, Jagged Mind comes up with reasonably diverting genre thrills but stops short of taking advantage of the rich material it has at its fingertips. In getting caught up with its own premise, the film isn't able to craft a compelling enough journey for its protagonist to break free of the cycles she finds herself in. As a result, it becomes something that's fun to watch in the moment—thanks to some playful, misleading editing and a solid lead performance by Maisie Richardson-Sellers—but not something that leaves a lasting impression or makes a full, compelling statement.

What stands out

No matter your feelings about the overall film, the big ideas that drive Jagged Mind are so intriguing that director Kelley Kali should only feel encouraged to keep on exploring these themes. Without giving anything away, the film leaves itself somewhat open-ended for a potentially even greater exploration of power and African-influenced magic. So for those whose enjoyment of a movie depends on how much it leaves them wanting more, Jagged Mind teases just enough to get you thinking about all the other places and situations that these characters could end up in after the credits roll.

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