Devina Schuster

This was okay at the beginning and I liked the main actor who played Craig, a depressed teenager who was thinking about suicide and decides to check him into a psych ward. I thought it was an interesting idea for a plot...it had some potential. But towards the end it was so completely trivializing and shaming of people with depression and other mental health issues. Another guy basically tells this teenage boy, Craig, that he should enjoy life more and get busy living. Then at the end, they have a pizza party and dance. I mean, this is not realistic! This movie made light of serious mental issues and is an insult to people who have depression. I would not recommend it.

I thought this movie was riveting--showing the aftermath of a school shooting and how it affected so many people's lives. The opening scene was powerful, focusing on Vada, Mia and Quinten in the bathroom stall and seeing the intense fear they were feeling. Jenna Ortega was amazing in the role of Vada--the traumatized teenager who is struggling to deal with the PTSD and all of the painful emotions. She finds friendship with Mia, played by Maddie Ziegler. They both first turn to alcohol and drugs as a way to cope. The chemistry between the two girls was strong and I really believed how they had become so bonded after sharing such a traumatic experience. I found it to be very realistic how they portrayed all of the symptoms and difficulties of having PTSD--insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, tremors, exhaustion, numbing, isolation, triggers, avoidance of triggers, anger and grief. The movie flowed easily and each scene depicted a new development in Vada's journey and how the tragic event caused shifts and rifts in her relationships with family and friends. I could understand how Vada would distance herself from her family and turn toward Mia, who understood what she was going through. I liked the sister, Amelia, who kept trying to connect with Vada, but to no avail. The cinematography was beautiful, each scene crafted like a work of art, beautiful colours and carefully designed. Acting was great all around. The music was excellent, too, and complemented the scenes well. Despite the tough topic, the movie kept things from getting too dark or depressing. I thought they could have expanded on the ending a bit more. It seemed to me that they quickly went from doing drugs to suddenly feeling their feelings and Mia going back to dance class. Perhaps that transition could have had a few more scenes with conversations between Vada and Mia, sharing some feelings about it or Vada with her mother. I really liked the scene with Vada and her sister near the end--so touching. And the last scene was gripping as it leaves you knowing how this will continue to affect Vada and everyone else. Overall, I felt it was superb and definitely worth watching! I'm glad a movie like this can bring more awareness about PTSD. Hope to see Jenna Ortega in some more mainstream movies! A bit of a personal rant---I felt a bit irked that her parents were not more supportive and understanding--the mother just wanting Vada to be all better and have her shine back and the father--where was he for most of the movie while his daughter was getting high? (Not to mention Mia's dads, who apparently hadn't even called her!) I also wondered why the police hadn't sent out a therapist/violent crimes specialist to check-in with the families who had been affected by the shooting. Why weren't they given some information on what Vada might be going through? Even the therapist didn't seem to inform her of what to expect. The therapist said, "You don't have to be nervous" to Vada. OMG--so invalidating!! So here Vada was having to deal with the fallout of massive trauma pretty much on her own. Vada apologized to her mother about not being more honest but why didn't the mother not apologize to her for not being more supportive of Vada?! I didn't like that scene--made the whole thing seem way too light. It just seemed to me like everyone was quick to 'move on' and send the kids back to school after what a couple of months? Why weren't people more concerned about the children's mental health? It's sad that in our society that there isn't space for people to grieve. End rant.