Parachute

Riley has been in rehab for eating and several psych disorders. So when she meets ethan, who has issues of his own, they hit it off right away. Riley tells us she knows she's not supposed to have relationships for the first year, but she's already broken that rule. And she's skipping her therapist appointments. Riley seems to be snacking a lot, so she seems to still have the eating and self worth issues. And now that it's been a year, she can date, so she starts up with a co-worker. And ends up kicking ethan to the curb. After a disastrous thanksgiving dinner, can riley make things right with her family, her friends? Even herself? It's good but predictable. One complaint.. a lot of the film is filmed with light so low we can't see what's going on. Directed by brittany snow. One of the two films she has directed.

Wow, this movie was really amazing and I am extremely picky. I am not good at writing reviews, but I know when the movie is good or bad, and this was a very good movie, not only did I love the subject matter, it felt so raw and so real, and I could actually identify with it, even though I don't have these particular issues, but some people Can feel this way, I have. It can be all consuming, and I love the camera work, the plot the directorial debut by Brittany Snow. The music was impeccable, thank God I was able to use Shazam for some of these songs. But more over this film had some of the best acting, but only by three people, Courtney Thomas and Dave. Who would've thought Dave would be a great actor? I am so impressed. This young lady is going far and of course Thomas already has a flourishing career. The supporting cast was good, but these three really stole the show, well the two main characters Stole the show. Please Hollywood make more movies like this. So touching and emotional and so beautifully well done.

The film follows Riley, a young woman fresh out of hospital for an eating disorder who is trying to navigate mental health issues and her own self destructive tendencies to live, and love again, despite herself.

I guess Brittany Snow directed this film as she had experienced similar problems in her life. Perhaps it was cathartic to portray what young girls can go through, perhaps she just wanted to get the message out to people to raise awareness of how life can be for some people, and how hard it is to keep an even mental keel, when the world seems to be teetering under your very feet.

The irritating thing is you can feel and appear to be fine and on top of the world. Then there's a trigger and suddenly your brain convinces you to think that you're unworthy, life is unworthy, everyone around you is better than you, you have no meaning or value, and yet deep down you know you do, and the dichotic maelstrom of emotion can tear you apart.

It seems to be becoming more common too with young people, perhaps brought on by TV standards, and then film standards, and now the internet bringing standards that people...mostly women...feel are impossible to live up to and if they can't then they are unworthy. They can't find how to be happy anymore. And of course no-one knows how best to treat even their close friends when they're like this. It's an epidemic and Snow brings this into focus to show us all what it can be like.

The cast is fabulous, Courtney Eaton slays this role and I believe everything she is going through. The situations, the contradictions, the failed romance, the struggle and then the acceptance. And thankfully it is not ruined by an awful music soundtrack. The score is unobtrusive and sympathetic and sometimes there is no sound at all, and that's very powerful.

I loved this from start to finish and I think it's beautifully and passionately and sympathetically done, so I give it a strong 8.

The movie should come with trigger warnings for body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Although Brittany Snow does a wonderful job of representing them, the theme might be too much to deal with for some people.

Okay, now that put aside, the performances in the movie were so beautiful. This kind of theme was elegantly depicted and to think that it was a directional debut certainly shows so much promise. Despite the erratic pacing and passage of time generally thrown at the audience through exposition, after a momentary whiplash, the scene brings you right back into it. I really loved character development of Riley and Nathan and even the minor characters for that matter. The movie did a wonderful job of showing both, what people suffering from mental illness go through and what people who care for them go through. Kudos.

Its very rare to find a film that does realness right, even to the very end. This film is incredibly relatable whether you've experience BD or not. It does a great job portraying the randomness and awkwardness of life as well as our obnoxious tendencies to self sabatoge. The cast was wonderful. You easily fall in love with the main characters.

I wish Hollywood would get its act together and fund about 100 more films like this one. If we had more movies like this, instead of the cookie cutter, coming of age or romcom films, teens and young adults would grow up much better adjusted.

Very much looking forward to more of Brittany Snow's work. She has an incredibly bright future.