Every 21 Seconds

I had know idea what TBI (traumatic brain injury) was. After seeing this moving story my eyes were opened to the truth.

This is based on the true story of a TBI survivor Brian Sweeney.

This film will take you through the depths of hell this man went through to try to regain back any semblance of his former life.

Shannon Brown's performance is amazing as he wraps himself into his portrayal of a TBI survivor. He is like Jekyll and Hyde in the modern day. To see the effects that a TBI has on his character is eye opening to say the least. You literally watch a passive, loving man, husband, and father transform before your eyes after as fights to recover from his injury.

If you are not crying by the end of this movie, you have ice water in your veins.

The cinematography is excellent. The rest of the supporting cast is amazing.

Kelly Theibaud, who plays the wife of Browns's character is so emotionally touching. You can see the despair on her face, and in her performance, as she watches her husband deal with the issues his injury as caused him.

The directing was top notch. Kuba Luczkiewicz did an amazing job. He definitely cultured the performances that made this movie grasp at your emotions.

If you have nothing better to do on a Saturday or Sunday night, watch this movie. You will not be sorry. You will also learn about TBI and how they can pull a man, and his family down to the brink of destruction. You will also learn that with unwavering love and commitment, you can perceiver and overcome.

I'm not one to write reviews, in fact this is the first one I've ever done, but I felt I had to for this movie. I saw Every 21 Seconds in Chicago while it was in theaters. I honestly hadn't heard of it (I was planning on watching Black Panther but I was late) Anyway, I thought the poster was very intriguing and it was about to start so I figured 'what the heck, why not'

It wasn't until the film started that I found out it was based on a true story. That was only the first surprise. I then found out that it was about a TBI survivor. This hit close to home as my sister is also a TBI survivor after a bad car accident. As the story progressed I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The pacing was perfect, the characters were developed well and the performances were nothing short of amazing. In particular the lead actor, Shannon Brown, who played the TBI survivor. Again, it hit close to home. I saw so much of my sister in his genuine, honest and powerful portrayal of a TBI survivor. His angst, his sudden mood changes, going from happy and smiling to being unhinged in a matter of seconds. His confusion and panic, having to relearn simple tasks that most of us take for granted. It was exactly how my sister went through this living hell. Just a brilliant performance by Brown, I'm now a fan and will be looking for more of his movies.

The female lead, Kelly Theibaud, was also fantastic. She plays Brown's wife and main supporter. I could easily sympathize with her struggle. I could feel her pain and frustration. The chemistry between the two leads was palpable, so strong. These two brilliant actors were perfectly cast to lead the audience on this intense journey. The entire cast was strong, in addition to the leads, the main Dr played by Jim O'Heir was great. He found a way to give some much needed levity without compromising the intensity of the story.

The director and producers hit a home run here. Great portrayal of a true story and the film was cast perfectly. Other than one of the friends, there were no bad performances. Even the kids were wonderful!

So, I ended up not seeing Black Panther that day. Instead, after watching this, I immediately called my sister. I picked her up and we went back that same day to a later showing and we watched it together. She cried more times than I could count. At the end, she had tears of joy. She said this movie perfectly portrays what it's like to have a TBI. It's a great movie purely as movies go, but it's a must see for anyone that has a TBI or has a loved one who does. Thank you for making this movie!

When my wife told me in the hospital that I had a Traumatic Brain Injury, I didn't know a thing about it. When I saw this movie, it was a reminder of my own recovery. Shannon Brown's portrayal is superb. The story is a true inspiration that improvement can happen after TBI. The supporting cast helped make this a truly excellent film!

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

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.