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Words on Bathroom Walls
2020 111 min United States of America PG-13 12+
★7.4
Drama, Romance
Director: Thor Freudenthal
🎭 Based on
«Words on Bathroom Walls»
byJulia Walton
Trailers
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Description
Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition.
Budget:
$8M
US Gross:
$2.54M
Worldwide:
$3.15M
Starring
Charlie Plummer
Actor
Andy Garcia
Actor
Taylor Russell
Actor
Awards
2 nominations
Key opinion
Words on Bathroom Walls is a sensitive, if sometimes conventional, coming-of-age drama that centers on a teenager navigating schizophrenia. While the film is widely praised for its empathetic portrayal of mental illness and the lead performance, critics are divided on whether its approach is refreshingly accessible or overly simplified.
| Acting | Charlie Plummer delivers an authentic and grounding performance that effectively anchors the protagonist's unstable internal world. | |
| Theme | The narrative successfully uses the central romantic relationship to humanize the experience of living with schizophrenia beyond mere clinical labels. | |
| Production | The film utilizes creative visual representations of hallucinations to help the audience understand the protagonist's struggle with internal chaos. | |
| Originality | Critics are split on the film's treatment of mental illness: supporters value its digestible, hopeful perspective, while detractors argue it simplifies the reality of schizophrenia for a teen audience. | |
| Screenplay | The tone is subject to disagreement, with some viewers appreciating the blend of charm, humor, and drama, while others find the storytelling formulaic and softened for commercial appeal. |