Our take
Stutz is Jonah Hill’s loving tribute to his therapist Phil Stutz, a smart and empathetic man who’s dedicated his entire life to helping people. The conversations between them, deeply personal and vulnerable, are meaningful in themselves, but Stutz also works as a helpful instruction on how to be your best self and as a metanarrative on telling honest stories on a medium as seemingly artificial as film (it is similar to Bo Burnham’s Inside in that way).
Stutz is at once experimental and comforting, a real gem especially for people with an interest in psychoanalysis and alternative psychiatry. It’s at its best when the two men deal with uncomfortable truths in the kindest of ways, and it’s sure to be something people will return to often for advice and solace. Fun fact: the documentary was co-produced by Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara.
The story
In candid conversations with actor Jonah Hill, leading psychiatrist Phil Stutz explores his early life experiences and unique, visual model of therapy.
Elsewhere
"Whatever else this movie becomes, it always remains a heartfelt tribute from one celebrity to his favorite shrink."
— David Ehrlich
"Jonah Hill’s gently powerful documentary Stutz is a personal project about someone else’s work."
— Nick Allen
The details
In the Same Breath
Female director & Nanfu Wang
Collective
Alexander Nanau
On the Record
Amy Ziering & Kirby Dick
There Are No Fakes
Jamie Kastner
Great Photo, Lovely Life
Amanda Mustard & Rachel Beth Anderson
Undefeated
Daniel Lindsay & T. J. Martin
To Kill a Tiger
Nisha Pahuja
The Bleeding Edge
Kirby Dick
Who picked it
Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.
