12 Months

It's hyper real , authentic , and raw. You will smile , ick, cringe , laugh , and cry. It's the first rom com that might actually teach you a lesson about how you are in a relationship. It follows a couple over 12 months in their relationship and the rollercoaster ride that comes with it. Sexual compatibility, gender equality, racial equity, and everything in between. This is no journey for the faint of heart , but if you can handle having a mirror put up to your experiences or rather mistakes in a relationship this film is a hidden gem that will leave you shook for weeks after the credits roll.

In trying to summarize this film, I found myself saying that 12 Months does for rom-com's what Bo Burham's film, 8th Grade, did for coming-of-age stories: 12 Months removes all the fake, over-glamorized, over-satirized and unrealistic BS and zero's in on the realest and most vulnerable moments between two people. Despite the painful, emotional, and, at times, cringe-worthy experiences of the two main characters, there are many funny moments in this film that balance things out. Clark (Michael James Kelly) and Ellie (Elizabeth Hirsch-Tauber) feel like a real couple that make many of the same mistakes that plague so many new couples, and their evolution as a pair is wonderfully examined throughout the film. Excellent performances by the leads as well as the supporting characters, Christopher Mychael Watson as Marlon and Lindsey Rose Naves as Audrey are particularly entertaining, but every actor in this film deserves high praise. Direction and cinematography are also excellent, everything feels very well-timed and matches the overall vibe of this really great movie.

Heartwarming and heart-wrenching all at once, 12 Months peels back the curtain on love - warts and all - providing an honest look at a toxic relationship, one that's equal parts beautiful and unsettling. Elizabeth Hirsch-Tauber and Michael James Kelly each give incredibly compelling and genuine performances in the leading roles, earning empathy and ire from moment to moment, both detestable and lovable every other turn. The grounded and gritty approach to the camerawork further adds to the film's authenticity, crafting something close to home for anyone who's ever navigated the highs and lows of companionship.

Made in a unique way over the course of a year, "12 Months" captures a very authentic relationship. It goes places no other romantic film has before and has a lot of laughs along the way,

A really good and surprising movie. Realistic characters and situations that felt true to life. It was interesting to see how the decisions they made were so often defined by emotions that while not always "logical" they were very realistic. I really became invested in the romance and wasn't always sure what I was rooting for.

Some of the conversations between the lead characters and their friends were super insightful and entertaining. There are also a lot of solid laughs including one moment I certainly wouldn't have expected (you'll know it when you see it). This movie is definitely worth a watch as it's not your typical romcom but certainly pulls at the heartstrings.