Brain on Fire

A healthy young reporter starts having psychotic episodes and seizures. Initially doctors diagnosed her with psychiatric problems. This movie teaches us to question the diagnoses our doctors give us when they can't give you the answers that you know deep down are right. Many treat symptoms with medication but don't go to the cause. It took a specialist doctor who interestingly in this time of the crisis in the Middle East is of Syrian origin to find the root of the problem which was a relatively newly diagnosed auto immune disease and treat her. After all the struggle with the missed or wrong diagnosis it would have been nice to see the specific treatment she got to get better.

Chloe Grace Moretz acts very convincingly throughout the very stages of her illness. I can't think of another actress who could have done it better. She has grown even prettier too. Strange casting of her parents Carrie Anne Moss and Richard Armitage both dark haired - maybe it was like that in real life.

Well done - a movie that needs to be seen by many.

I wish there were more movies on the subject of mental illness, the way these incurable illnesses destroys your life, the lives of family, loved ones, and friends.

Unlike my life, this movie does have a happy ending. These illnesses are misunderstood, bring fear to many, and in most cases considered Taboo to discuss.

Chloe does an amazing performance at portraying the highs (manic) and lows (depressive) of Bipolar. The uncontrollable paranoia, voices and visions associated with schizophrenia. The feelings of being alone, the emptiness and worthlessness.

I was first diagnosed in 2010 and have lost my career, respect of my peers, my friends and even lost my 22 year old Son and 21 year old Daughter (they think I am 'crazy', they are ashamed of who I have become, and refuse to educate themselves on this terrible subject). They have now moved two states away and tell everyone that I died in an accident.

For those of us afflicted with mental illness... we did not do anything wrong or horrible to be this way. It's just the way we were born. Chemical imbalances in our brain... not from sin, drugs, drinking, or smoking

I implore all of you to watch this amazing story that will pull on your heart strings and create a very powerful compassion that you never knew existed.

One piece of advice before watching... for many of you, have your tissues ready... I cried my way through every minute.

A young newspaper writer suffers an unexpected breakdown and this film follows the consequences, medical review, treatment options, meds, etc. It's an interesting story with a somewhat rare root cause, but not that unique considering the exponential learning curve of medical science just in the last 50 years. The screenplay possibly originated in a medical journal.

For me, the best part was the insider's view of medical triage: the trials and tribulations of diagnosis, the pressure of expediency, and the effects of advocacy paired with available health care.

Suggestions for Chloe Grace Moretz casting/make-up: - the puffy lips were distracting - her nails were too perfect for someone earning a living at a keyboard AND suffering manic episodes.

Many viewers are giving this film a high rating and are upset if anyone gives a lower rating. They are judging this film on the disease and not the movie. IMDb uses criteria to arrive at a fair value, which in most cases is more accurate. It is not an average of all ratings added together but is based on all ratings made.

My rating of 6 for this important movie is very close to this adjusted final rating and thus my thoughts about the movie tallies with this logic. The movie itself is only average, dealing with a very important subject. I am glad to have seen it.

34 metascore?! Really? Were the critics thinking this film was about demonic possession done poorly, not as good as The Exorcist? Incredible that Wonder Woman, a fantasy piece of garbage, fetches a 75 mscore from these same inept and in-the-back-pocket critics. Shame on them!

Brain on Fire is based on an amazing, true and important story. It's not fiction Hollywood Reporter, Gaurdian, Variety, etc. Did you even watch it?!!!

This film hits all the marks; Incredible true story, top notch acting, directing, sound, editing, music, cinematography, yada yada yada. If you don't like it and don't respect it for its integrity at story telling please take your meds