Words on Bathroom Walls offers an interesting perspective about mental illness. I’m not too sure that is enough to reason to see the film. While the film does do a great job getting inside the mind of a mentally ill man, it does so through rehash tired tropes everyone has seen in just about any YA film. It’s a shame. Many films have attempted to touch on the idea of loving someone with mental illness but none have done such an in-depth look at how these voices manifest themselves. Had Words on Bathroom Walls stayed focus on those elements, perhaps the movie would have been critically received rather collectively dismissed.
The film centers around Adam (Charlie Plummer), who acts like most teenagers his age but he has a deeper secret. An incident in chemistry class leads to Adam getting expelled and being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. His parents eventually enroll him at the local catholic school. No one seems to talk with Adam except the outspoken Maya (Taylor Russell) and those immediately develop a bond. Eventually, their love blossoms and Adam now sees a purpose for moving forward.
At times, Words on Bathroom Walls resembles a Lifetime original film filled with obvious melodramatic plot points. However, there are moments in the film where Russell and Plummer’s talent shine through the mess. The two leads are perhaps the biggest selling points of the film. Beyond that, there’s no real reason to go see this in theaters.
Dewey Singleton has been reviewing new releases in television and film for many years. Dewey's reviews have been heard in multiple markets (Houston Atlanta, Tampa). Dewey's past work has been with awardswatch.com, awardsradar.com, and bleeding cool. Dewey is a proud member of the CCA.