Every 21 Seconds

I enjoy watching indies because there is an organic and purity to telling a story with a limited budget. We seem saturated with 100 million dollar superhero movies which can be entertaining in its own right, but its basically become just using a blank checkbook to get the latest technology in special fx. It's getting to the point where the entire film can be shot in front of a green screen, no thanks.

Every 21 Seconds is a perfect example of telling a great story with none of the smoke and mirrors. It centers around a brain injury survivor who defies all odds to not only survive, but thrive after his near death experience. I was initially drawn to this movie because I thought it was based on the true story of a man suffering from PTSD, but that is not at all what this was. Have you heard of a tbi? Yeah, me neither until I saw this film. tbi stands for traumatic brain injury and apparently its something that many people suffer from in our society. If you suffer one and you are lucky enough to survive you are often times stuck in a hell where you might look the same as you did before but you are not the same person at all. This film motivated me to research it some more and I was shocked to find out how common these types of injuries are from boxers, football players and armed forces veterans to regular day people like the guy this particular story is based on. It often times leads to depression, wild mood swings, memory loss and a buffet of other terrible side effects.

On to this film in particular. I was hooked immediately. The pace of the film keeps you invested, the performances keep you engaged and the fact that its based on a true story makes it all the more powerful. Shannon Brown is amazing as the main character. You cant help but laugh with him, cry with him and definitely pull for him as this intense story unfolds. A remarkable performance! His co star Kelly Thiebaud is also very powerful. She plays the main character's wife and she is anything but weak or a victim. Her portrayal of the devoted wife who will stop at nothing to help her husband is inspiring. Brown and Thiebaud are simply magnetic in this. A prime example of why I love indie filmmaking. These two stars took a great story and brought to life in a raw, unfiltered manner without the help of exotic locations or over the top special fx.

The film itself has a great pace to it. The cinematography is beautiful, the director navigated the ship perfectly, the score is brilliant. Again, no frills, just genuine story telling. I noticed one review where these filmmakers were actually mocked for having to work with a modest budget. I guess to someone shallow and un-artistic, it's a bad thing to be able to tell a great story without a big Hollywood budget. That same type of shallow critic is the reason there are 137 Avenger movies out there. I will applaud great storytelling and powerful performances achieved without the benefit of 100s of millions of dollars to dress it up and that is precisely what Every 21 Seconds is.

This movie was absolutely freaking awesome was so believable and heartfelt I really enjoyed this and it made me have empathy for the real Brian Sweeney and family and all the people out there dealing with TBI

Held my interest..acting could be better but it was believeable.. I was happy to find the movie.. worth the watch

I'm becoming more and more of an indie film fan because of films like this. Every 21 Seconds is based on the true story of brain injury survivor. No spoilers, but after watching this film, I was shocked at how devastating brain injuries can be for someone as well as their loved ones. No VFX, no CGI, nothing animated, just raw, honest compelling storytelling brought to life by a great cast.

Leading that great cast is Shannon Brown playing the main character, the brain injury survivor. This is one of the most inspiring performances you'll see in cinema period. His ability to draw you in is exceptional especially when you take into account that he's essentially playing two very different characters in one, before and after the brain injury. There were multiple times when you could literally hear the audience gasp. I've seen Brown in a few other films in the past like Halloweed, Finding Hope and some gangster movie that I cant remember the title of, but anyway, this guy is a true artist, I'm a fan for sure. Comedy, drama or whatever, Brown can carry a film at a high level. Also of note, Kelly Thiebaud, who plays the wife of Brown's character, the female lead. You can't help but feel drawn to her and her struggles to take care of the man she loves. You laugh with her, you cry with her and you really just wanna give her a hug. A very powerful performance and her chemistry with Brown is very strong. It's easy to forget that you're actually watching actors when these two are on screen together which is a strong compliment to them both.

The supporting cast keeps you engaged as well. I was particularly impressed with Jimmie Tolliver who plays our hero's best friend. Robyn Coffin has a nice turn as a quirky yet caring therapist. This is an intense ride, not for the faint of heart. It's clear that the filmmakers responsible for this gem was not trying to appeal to the masses, rather they were focused on making a honest, gritty depiction of a real brain injury survivor. I feel for anyone that has a brain injury and their loved ones. Check this film out, you'll be glad you did.

Not the best acting by the supporting actors but heartfelt story well done