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Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)

Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)

7.2

A refreshing, thoughtful take on young love and schizophrenia

Movie

United States of America
English
Drama, Romance
2020

TLDR

I can’t believe this thoughtful adaptation is coming from the director of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but maybe this shouldn’t be so surprising.

What it's about

After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, high school senior Adam Petrazelli struggles to keep his diagnosis a secret from the rest of the school, while falling in love with fellow classmate Maya Arnez.

The take

While the YA genre doesn't have the best track record with regards to mental illness representation, there’s a funny, surprisingly accurate, and, dare I say, relatable approach to Words on Bathroom Walls that makes the topic of schizophrenia feel approachable. It helps that the cast was well-picked, with festival favorites Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell forming a compelling pair, but what makes the film work is director Thor Freudenthal, whose previous experience in directing classic teen franchises can be seen through the way he portrays Adam with heart, rather than with stereotypes, just like the original novel. Words on Bathroom Walls is an unexpectedly fresh take on an often misrepresented condition.

What stands out

The humor with the hallucinations. It’s never at the expense of Adam, and the humor that makes use of the contrast between the visual hallucinations and what’s actually happening is actually funny.

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