It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012) User Reviews

Everything and everyone in a mere stickfigure.

[elliotsillander · 8/10 · 31 July 2022]

It's Such a Beautiful Day is in practice a very simple tale. A tale of a man who gets sick and has to deal with his incoming demise. The way this story is told is however far from simple and should make you think about your very existence by the end.

The film is actually built up from three seperate short films but this is hardly relevant as the three segments flow in a way that makes it obvious that they were intended to be as one from the start. Even so the movie is only slightly over an hour which is hugely impressive for what it accomplishes on a cinematic and emotional level.

The animation style must of course also be mentioned. At first it looks as though the style is just simple pencil drawn stick figures a five year old could draw, but it soon gets clear that the film is actually very well animated and that the simple style just further works as a contrast to the larger than life themes the film tackles. The animation is also intermixed with real world images as well as very surreal imagery which helps the film's look and feel stick out further. Oh and the music and voice acting are of course also really well done.

The film visually is very far from reality yet it manages to feel more "real" than most other regular drama films. There is a ton of super relatable and realistic feeling dialogue that makes it all feel very genuine even though we're essentially just looking at stick figures interacting with each other.

The pacing is incredibly sharp and quick to the point where I really ended up wishing that the movie would have been longer as I genuinely think it could have been a real masterpiece if it were twice as long. As it is, it is still a wonderful experience, it just could have been even more larger than life. At around the midpoint there is also a sequence of events that feels weirdly out of place (though this segment is made a little less distracting through a referential scene toward this scene later on in the film).

Other than those few mishaps the film is really good and when my biggest issue is that I wanted more of the product, you know that it is good.

Without spoiling anything the film has a few scenes that feel tremendously powerful and these scenes really solidified the film as a monumentally unique but albeit somewhat gimmicky film. So it's Such a Beautiful Day is not perfect, but it sure as hell is worth your time!

Rating: 8-/10.

One of the most memorable films I've ever seen. =MUST WATCH=

[niall-lyn-mckee-200-468313 · 1 January 2015]

'It's Such a Beautiful Day' is nothing like any other feature film. If you are new to Don Hertzfeld's work I would highly recommend doing a quick YouTube search of his name. 'Rejected' is a good example of his style. Hertzfeld is hard to classify. His animation style is simple yet remarkably emotive, dancing between the surreal and the heart wrenchingly real. 'It's Such a Beautiful Day' is a very heavy watch, exploring themes of life/death, youth/aging, longing/impermanence and the unstoppable thirst for the beauty of existence so central to our humanity, the unquenchable awe that keeps us going every day.

In the film Hertzfeld follows a simple relatable stick figure named Bill. The dry, blunt (in a good way) narration follows Bill from infancy to adulthood to old age, chronicling in chilling detail the slow devastating deterioration of his mind and body. Executed with exquisite writing this rocky emotional journey is full of engaging secondary-plots and character development. While primarily animated on paper with stick figures Hertzfeld manages to create magical exciting transitions, dream-states and other visual effects all while staying within the medium for the most part.

As a musician I just have to comment on the music too. Hertzfeld as usual did not disappoint with the soundtrack. His selections were absolutely stunning, perfectly accompanying the thematic content of the film. These were my personal favourite selections: Smetana's The Moldau - This late- Classical era piece was written about the Moldau, a long winding majestic European river which ends its long journey by spilling into the vast sea. I think this selection perfectly matched the film's thematic content. The permanence of the unending rushing currents of the Moldau juxtaposed against its ultimate fate, to be lost forever flowing into the vase ocean perfectly compliments the film's many monologues about the unimaginable immensity of cosmic time and the universal reality of death, our own spilling into the great abyss. Hertzfeld also featured some excerpts from Strauss' Four Last Songs. As it sounds, these pieces are the last four pieces composed by Richard Strauss who never lived to hear them performed. Their German lyrics are riddled with premonitions and contemplations of both life and death. Hertzfeld's choice here could not have been more tasteful in my opinion. Mirroring the lyrics, as Bill wastes away we are confronted with some of the most fundamental questions. What ought we to value most of all, how do we want to be remembered, who/what brought us true happiness, should we live our life for this life's sake or for the hypothetical next, does anyone die truly satisfied? Although the film is stunning enough on its own, for those familiar with these works and their meanings the combination of elegant prose and these gorgeous selections is truly paralyzing. Finally as Hertzfeld draws the work to a finale he chooses Schumann's beautiful, tender, nostalgic Traumerei which means 'Dreaming'. I don't have much to say about this other than thank you Don.

Don Hertzfeld's talent creativity and wisdom is showcased brilliantly in this film. I will be showing this to many many people and will be returning many many times as I grow older and older. 'It's Such a Beautiful Day' is very dark and emotionally heavy. It might be too 'artsy' for some (I hate that word) but in reality it is an extremely mature work of art. This film tackles some really fundamentally disturbing questions. On the one hand it brings up our mortality, our short painful ofttimes disappointing existence. But in light of this depressing truth it also celebrates our remarkable abilities to experience beauty, joy, love, laughter, awe, inspiration, wonder, curiosity, discovery, kindness, passion and everything that makes us human, everything that makes life real, everything that makes it a privilege to experience in our short snippet of time here.

This film also really spoke to me in terms of my personal struggle into atheism throughout my teenage years. For some it's hard to see a reason to keep existing when leaving a given faith, however when grappling with cosmic insignificance one eventually encounters many important realizations that make life truly wonderful, awe inspiring and worthwhile. I found that this film, particularly in the finale, addresses many of these issues and for that reason it really gave me chills. This film nearly moved me to tears in more different ways than I have ever experienced, constantly torn between a deep existential sorrow and inexplicable organic joy from being alive. I would recommend this to anybody but I do think this can be particularly helpful for those struggling with the issues non-belief and death. Even though I've lived out my teen years and have begun my gradual but steady deterioration into nonexistence, this film shows my why, in the face of that dark abyss, I have every reason in the world to be happy, to be joyful, to laugh and love as much as I can while I still can. 'It's Such a Beautiful Day' encourages its audience to stop and smell the roses; to realize that amid all the suffering so inseparable from the human experience, we're also gifted with indescribable beauties, a capacity for crippling emotion, loyal companionship, and a vast mysterious cosmos we are learning more about every day. We have much to fear, but we have so much more to be thankful for. 'It's Such a Beautiful Day' reminds us that we are all in the process of dying, year by year and, just in case there's no light at the end of the tunnel it implores us to live for today and enjoy every single aspect of our frail existence before its too late.

Greatest movie I've seen all year

[francisdufort-75626 · 10/10 · 7 August 2023]

Of all the movies I've seen since the beginning of 2023, this one is my favourite. This movie captures the viewer by sending him into a crazy adventure through the main character's mind. It's visually stunning, very entertaining and incredibly touching. We follow Bill, a somewhat normal man as he slowly starts to loose his thoughts, his memories and his grasp on reality. We get to live every moment with him and share in his confusion and mental hallucinations. We also get to live with him, follow his daily activities, follow his mental health and know his past. We live in his world through him and we get to see the people that surround him, the things he does, the things he sees, the things he imagines, the things he likes, the things he thinks about and the world as it is (for him). We simply become... Bill. As weird as it sounds, this is actually the most incredible and fascinating cinematic experience I've had in my life. I love Bill and I love this movie.

The best movie of all time

[ruben-aune · 30 September 2014]

Never has a movie had a greater impact on me than this one. In fact, I created my IMDb profile solely to rate this movie 10/10, because it is just that good.

At the surface it's a somewhat comically told story of a stickman, Bill, and his struggles in life. Don Hertzfeldt (the animator) narrates Bill's life through what seems like a series tiny excerpts plucked out from a bigger picture. It mirrors the animation style, which at times also seems to consist of excerpts; tiny portions roughly cut out from bigger scenes. All this is accompanied by classical music.

At the core of this simple exterior though, is an emotional roller-coaster that will make you think about the big questions. It will make you laugh at dark jokes amidst a sea of tears. It will reduce any hard man into a soft mushy pulp. And in the end, Bill the stickman will have a real impact on your life.

You should totally buy this movie.

[rvdawesome · 15 February 2013]

This film is amazing. It's a beautiful, philosophical film that leaves you feeling paralyzed after viewing. Every time I watch it, I notice more and more of the great things about this film. The superb effects are even more amazing when you think about how there were no computers used in its filming. This movie feels like the longest hour of your life, but you wish the hour never ends. It is about a man named Bill. It starts of following Bill around with narration by Don Hertzfeldt. Hertzfeldt's narration sounds unconventional and unprofessional, but it adds to the effect of the film. You soon learn that BIll is struggling with some sort of disease never mentioned in the film that affects his mind. Most of the film is split into little windows across the screen, something weird, but original and interesting. All this, plus some darkly funny humor, makes this film not only a great one, but an artistic achievement that will make you do some major thinking about life. This film is perfect.

It's Such A Beautiful Film.

[Sergeant_Tibbs · 11 November 2014]

I haven't seen a film as masterful as Don Hertzfeldt's It's Such a Beautiful Day that I had to watch it twice in two days in a long time. Comprised of three short films, of which were released from 2006-2011, for an hour long feature. It details the life, perspective and ancestry of Bill, a nondescript stickman who suffers from deliberating mental illness. Although it has a minimalist animation style, with simplistic pencilled-in stick figures and fractured splotched split screens contrasted with live action footage, Hertzfeldt manages to dig deep into the bleakest caverns of the psyche of the human condition, whilst also pointing out its silver linings. Even though it's obviously painstakingly animated, there's a liberating stream-of- conscience style with Hertzfeldt's omnipresent and omniscient narration.

Despite Bill's erratic state of mind, ostensibly from his family history, he's an incredibly relatable character from his fears, dreams and insecurities. The film is so on point that it's hard to shake a disorientating sense of anxiety from watching it due to its existentialism. The film is a remarkably abrasive experience from its density, firing off small vignettes of Bill's life in just a few seconds at a time, paired with an unnerving use of classical music. But with its absurdist take on life, the grounded sense of humour comes from its irreverent and idiosyncratic observations of trivial social faux pas. However, the only aspect that holds the film back is that it gets too nihilistic at times especially during the family flashbacks without purpose, often forgetting the theme of the title.

What's most powerful about the film is the way it approaches mortality. Among all the morbid cruelty of life, it manages something deeply poignant and profound in its casualness. It suggests death as a dumb, awkward stupid moment and in its irony it finds comfort. The final passage explores the consequence of immortality taking a common fantasy on a grand scale. The unbridled creativity, insight and ambition of Hertzfeldt is unparalleled. Both hilarious and gut-wrenching in equal measure, it's a thoroughly inspirational film as Hertzfeldt probably made this on one desk maybe in his bedroom. I implore everyone to spare an hour of their life to watch this. I'll definitely be watching It's Such a Beautiful Day many, many more times.

9/10

"...and the world is clumsy and beautiful and new..."

[framptonhollis · 22 June 2017]

From his beginnings as the animator of absurdist comedic shorts like "Rejected" and "Billy's Balloon", Don Hertzfeldt's career has always been promising and he has now become one of the finest filmmakers working today, a mature mastermind with a sense of humor that somehow manages to create stunning works of art using stick figures.

"It's Such a Beautiful Day" is a tragicomic combination of fantasy and reality, portraying the life and death of a seemingly normal man named Bill, a relatable extension of ourselves who lives a confusing yet mundane life that seems to have been wasted by year after year of nothing. Featuring a deadpan and often hilarious narration by Hertzfeldt himself, Bill's psychological and physical collapse is portrayed through the unique usage of flashbacks, dream sequences, absurdist gags, surrealist science fiction imagery, etc. All of these fragments of memories and crises and sad moments and happy moments and funny moments and stream of consciousness style musings on existentialist concepts of death and love and life all culminate to form something inexplicably beautiful. This is the story of a fragile man taking place over the course of his most fragile days as life seems to vanish in his socially awkward grasp. Of course, this is not a conventionally sad work, although it IS extremely tragic and heartbreaking throughout, for Hertzfeldt's often dark and occasionally even slightly juvenile and slyly bawdy sense of humor shines through even the most melancholic of moments.

The result of this brilliant philosophical tale is a work of both intellectual and emotional mastery crafted by an underrated and unbelievably talented artist whose works can combine elements of comedy and tragedy and poetry using bland, almost poorly drawn stick figures. This filmmaker and this films are both movie miracles and prove that even in this modern age of repetitive corporate media cinema is not dead and can still be excellent and original!

One of the greatest pieces of art ever made

[jtyler1000 · 24 May 2015]

When I sat down to watch this, I had never heard of Don Hertzfeldt, the genius behind "It's Such a Beautiful Day." Since then, I've watched every single film he has made at least three times. This film changed the way I look at art; film, music and literal art, in the form of paintings. It is truly incredible. Hertzfeldt's animation style in one of the best in the industry, and has now become my favourite.

The story that is told in the series of shorts will make you laugh, cry and consider why you are even living. The way that the simple animation style is composited on screen is unique, and also works seeing as it is told from Bill's perspective. The main character, Bill, is a lonely, confused stickman, who suffers from depression and a mental disorder. The things he dreams up or the hallucinations he sees show Hertzfeldt's absurd humour, which will confuse you and also make you laugh. The questions that he asks will stay in your head for a very long time.

The fact that this masterpiece was produced entirely one person with no help from computers makes the film stand out even more.

I don't know whether I'll ever watch a film the same again.

Never seen anything like it before.

[jenniferplyler · 2 April 2015]

I don't think I can accurately describe how very very much I loved this movie. I've seen it 4 times now and each time I still feel my soul ache for Bill. I fell in love with Bill and... just felt for him. In real life, I felt for an animated character. It's that good.

The way the scenes are laid out really dig deep into the psyche and even if the scenes are too deep for you, you can still appreciate being pulled into someone's mind and experiences in such a way that later you won't be able to help but to reflect on, and often.

I especially loved how the writer depicted the psychotic breaks. Genius. What is it like to have experienced true emotional pain? What's the damage left? What about genetics? There's no doubt that environment plays a large role in emotional development but so does being genetically predisposed to an illness or 'malfunction' that basically hinders brain function so that the brain is no longer efficient. Most of us can only imagine experiencing the brain being truly confused or inept.

Yet, Bill pushes on as the sweetest, kindest soul who just lives his simple, rote routines and just keeps living...and living....and living.

This movie is amazing and you get to experience Bill's PERCEPTIONS of his reality and life in a stark and matter-of-fact way that gets to you. LOVE this LOVE LOVE LOVE this! ...and I LOVE whomever made this movie. You are simply incredible, sir.

Gobsmacked

[phil-08929 · 1 March 2016]

I've just finished this film for the first time and struggle to find the words to describe it. It is funny in that dark Hertzfeldt way. But it is so much more than that. It ties the humor of humanity in with the pain of being human. It's a Beautiful Day tells, mostly in present tense, the story of Bill. The entire time we are laughing at Bill's misfortunes, we empathize, he is becoming a part of us. We soon find we are laughing at ourselves and our world.

The story starts like many of Hertzfeldt's shorter films. The telling of this story, at first, comes off kind of clumsy, as if its creator struggled with such a large canvas on which to tell it. But the pieces are violently shoved together in a moment that makes Hertzfeldt's genius come to light. This moment which gives a greater sense of the story is followed by several more that cut me to the core. In my opinion, this story is agonizingly beautiful and is rich with that transparent honestly only Hertfeldt has seemed to be able to accomplish via film/animation.

Exceptional!

[drahj-21 · 25 December 2014]

Some films don't leave you for days after you watched them. You actually feel like they will always be within you for your whole life, and they kind of do. This has been one of those films for me. I started watching it with no idea what is was about or what to expect and so it took me to a lovely, passionate, exceptional journey.

It's one of these few films that actually makes you think after the last scene, which was by the way a remarkable one to end the film with.

It speaks to the heart, the mind and the soul in such a simple, beautiful way. I so loved how it's narrated and how the ideas are displayed. It deserves to be recognized and seen not once, but many times.

"No computers were used during production."

[JayShermanStinksYoooooo1920 · 23 April 2015]

In a film industry there animated movies are getting more and more advanced, this extreme surprise shows up on Netflix. What a beautiful film this is.

Don Hertzfeldt, a director I had never heard of until this day tells the story of a man named Bill, who struggles to put together his shattered psyche. All this is done with very simple, but heartwarming drawings mixed with some live action moments.

Like Mary and Max (2009), this animated feature relies heavily on the narrator, who's voice is the only one you hear. We listen to simple stories about life itself, with some very dark humor intended. You'll laugh, you'll cry, but most of all you'll only spend 62 minutes of your life on something that was quite clearly worth it...

Powerfully Written Ambitious Animation, a Must Watch.

[Mr-bravestone · 6 August 2013]

Thankfully I stumbled upon this gem of a film after watching his famous "Rejected Cartoons" skits. Which are genius in their own right, this has a whole different mood and only centers around one man.

The way Hertzfeldt blends classical music, with simple narration and seemingly simple yet complex animation, he manages to tell a great , thought provoking tale of a man looking for something just a little bit more, often thinking to himself, which in turn often gets the viewer thinking, for better or for worse. Everyone can relate to Bill, as I'm sure there is at least one thing that Bill encounters that the viewer has also encountered, which makes it that much more of a personal experience for the viewer.

Surely you will leave this film asking yourself a lot of questions, and some maybe for the better.

Hand made and it shows

[Pukeonthestreet · 10 February 2020]

The reason Don doesn't have that many movies under his belt is because he painstakingly draws everything himself. It's a long process. It's maddening at times. But it's creates these magical labors of love that are so lost in the modern age. Watch this and enjoy.

Don Hertzfeldt's best work

[briancham1994 · 1 June 2020]

This film has all three episodes put together into one continuous story. It shows the story of Bill, who is deteriorating from a brain disease. It sounds depressing and haunting, and it is. However, it is many other things as well - impressive, heartwarming, insightful, funny, clever, tragic, and more. This film is a rare gem. A must-watch.

It's Such a Beautiful Day or: How Everything Will Be OK and I Am So Proud of You.

[thesouthfamily2-552-707097 · 2 March 2019]

The film is actually three short films molded into one. But it flows so well as one movie. It tells its story with such importance and sympathy.

Early in the film, Bill recognizes that his routine (which he finds so strange) is his life. Any deviation of his routine is actually strange because its not the norm. It's this terrible recognition of what life is really like.

Bill shows signs of depression early on. Lack of sleep, loss of interest in what once made him happy, a stagnant inability to do anything, etc.

It's hard to describe depression to someone who doesn't experience it on a regular basis. And even if they do, it's still hard to describe because everyone has their own shade of depression; their own symptoms, as well as an inner conflict of intrusive thoughts.

For some people, it's just background noise, like you know it's there and it's not persistently going after you. However, for others, it's exactly that: everyday is a nightmare. You don't want to do anything; but you have to because nobody is taking care of you.

Your day is right there, laughing at you, making you feel small and you drag your depression around like an anchor. It ruins everything. Everyday is a nightmare; it's just a waking, unending nightmare.

They are no good days. There are just bad days and some days that are worse. That's the bar you've set for the lowest expectation. You wake up and you pray for a bad day like it's Christmas morning. If only everyday was Christmas morning; a bad day, not a worse day.

You also can't tell people about it because they think all you need is exercise and to smile more; however, I am tired of smiling.

Depression is much more than just feeling sad; it's also about being tired and filling unfulfilled despite your best efforts.

This film gets that and more. It gets through the horrors of depression and everyday life.

🥇100%

A+

Awesometacular

Better Than Sex

The best film I have ever watched (MASSIVE SPOILERS)

[jagoneech · 30 May 2020]

I am sorry for the spoilers in this review, but I wanted to analyse the strengths of this film in depth. If you have watched the film before, then you can read the review. I hope you enjoy it!

This film is extremely good. I love the way the story is told through the film. Bill suffers from some sort of brain tumour and the film tells his "last" few weeks. The animation is simple but effective and its contrast to some of the real scenes and pictures is absolutely stunning.

I like the distress in the voice of the narrator through the film. It feels like it is rushing through (in a good way). His awkward life is introduced really well in his complicated attempt at speech and greeting in the first scene.

Towards the end, there are some extremely confusing and disfiguring images which really put you in Bill's perspective. The scenes close to the end are somewhat disturbing and intense and contrast really well to the following parts, with the scene where Bill sits under the tree.

In the final scene, Bill is granted eternal life. This is a very impactful scene and the wonderful Piano Concerto excerpt compliments it so well. The feelings towards his immortality are mixed. I guess it reflects his fear of death and how pointless it is to fear it, for eternal life is a worse punishment. I also think of it as being a relief and a final wish granted. He never had to stare death in the face before and he never will.

This film is the most beautiful that I had ever watched. My favourite by far. It is extremely emotionally draining and it reflects aspects of real life in new and brilliant ways. One of my best memories of my entire life is watching this film. I am sure you will enjoy it as much.

It's such a beautiful film

[panta-4 · 15 July 2021]

A masterpiece shot on 35mm where all of the visuals for the film were captured in-camera with experimental optical effects and trick photography.

This film will have a huge impact on anyone with a three digit IQ! Storytelling of a highest rank looking on the the surface too simple using a stick-man Bill and describing his struggles in life.

Don Hertzfeldt (the animator) narrates the events using tiny excerpts plucked out from a bigger picture... matching the animation style .. gluing everything together with a perfect choice of classical music.

Do not miss it!

Dark, funny, disturbing, original

[doomedmac · 3 May 2020]

I have never seen a movie like this one. Painfully realistic, but presented in simple cartoon drawings. This is a seriously profound, moving movie.

A powerful and deeply thoughtful story of a man slowing losing his mind.

[hodgesdanny · 7 February 2017]

An intense and beautiful take on mental health that deals with its subject matter with tact and respect. In a world where mental health in film is so often overly-trivialised or simply ignored, it's refreshing to see a piece that accurately represents the everyday anxiety and uncertainty that comes with such problems.

More specifically, however, it's a very tragic story of protagonist Bill slowly losing his grip on reality. As such the film is presented in a manner that often feels like the unfocused ramblings of a man lost in his own thoughts. Bill regales us with memories within memories, memories that are perhaps inaccurate and memories that may even be entirely fabricated. The way the unreliable narrator method of storytelling is used throughout is extremely effective, and although it may feel a little confusing or disjointed at times it all comes together wonderfully in a way that feels thoughtful and very well-considered.

An incredibly unique piece of art that any amount of description can't really do justice. One of my favourite things to sit down and watch whenever I'm feeling down or uncertain or if I simply want to get lost in thought. Guaranteed to leave a lasting impact if given the time and attention it deserves.

It's such a wonderful film!

[alex_tache97 · 16 August 2017]

It is a very rare and special moment when you finish watching a film and are left with a genuine feeling of gratefulness, for having just witnessed such a brilliant work of art. Through it's unmitigated sense of simplicity delivered by means of unassuming animation this film of just one hour length is capable of encompassing such vast wealth of emotion that I admit to being left completely in awe and admiration as the credits began to roll. This is a work full of meaning and purpose which I heart-fully recommend to just about anybody!

Beautiful

[fatherdewitt · 26 August 2018]

Such a creative and different take any animation has given. It's strange and philosophical outlook from a single character with have you amused or either questioning what you're watching. If you don't understand then watch it again. It strange how this helps perceptions in your life but that's something that's amazing about this "creation". Please give it a watch.

Not as wise and revelatory as it so desperately wants to be

[DonnyMovieMan · 29 September 2015]

Existential spewing that has a lot of great ideas, but it's trying so hard to make you have a revelation that it doesn't realize how unoriginal some of its ideas are. We're just brains floating around. We don't live because we're afraid to die. There's hidden beauty in the world. All of these things are nice ideas but none of them are things I haven't thought of before. The movie wants to tackle everything in huge, broad strokes, and doesn't dig into any of these ideas enough to wow me.

It's a little like a older teen who is telling a group of little kids some profound existential whatever he read on the internet about how people are specks and nothing matters and the 8 year olds are eating it up because it's profound. There's not really a ton of wisdom here.

Other films like The Tree of Life and American Beauty tackle similar ideas, but they do them with much more detail and I can relate to them on not just vast levels, but personal ones. Sure this movie can be a personal experience for people, but is this movie ACTUALLY changing your life?

It's kind of like a politician who rallies up crowds because they know exactly the problems in the country and what needs to be done, but doesn't actually say how they're going to do it.

I don't believe life works with the broad strokes the movie paints it with. It approaches life with a birds eye view. Psychological problems or true love, for example, are hardly on this film's mind, yet they are more relevant to actual life, not this fantasized version of life where people are directionless pawns on a chessboard, slaves to mundanity.

I liked this movie a lot because it's a good motivator for living life to its fullest and trying to appreciate beauty, but I don't think that it's actually THAT wise or enlightening, and it's not going to make me go outside and cry at a flower. I enjoyed it's animation style a lot and experimental nature and it blends many of its ideas together very well. Problem is, it talks big and lacks detail.

So unique and weird yet so lovable and maybe touching?

[MayuMG · 30 April 2020]

-It's very hard to describe exactly why this is so amazing. -Everything presented means something in some way. It's kinda up to you to put this poor man's observations together. -Extremely disturbing and impactful, but done appropriately to convey the uncertainty in our hero's unreliable psyche. -I don't know much about what disorder our protagonist suffers from, but it feels like something that's accurate.

Hard to put into words

[sevskirita · 22 October 2022]

My family has been struck with mental illness, time and time again. Serious mental illness, with even homicide. So to me, this really strikes a chord.

As complex and confused as this film is (intentionally), I feel it is a story centered around Bill and his mother's struggle with mental illness. His mother's story, aside from the parts about his relatives that seem more metaphorical, such as the train deaths, feels like it is something that actually occurred, although I may just be biased because of how I like that.

His mother struggling through mental illness to try to make Bill's life a good one, and also probably struggling through the guilt of having him in the first place is heartbreaking. Bill's own struggle with his body and his joy is also the same, and I feel the point of the story is how he overcame this monumental struggle by honing in on the smallest of things. A brief forgiveness for a long forgotten wrong. Appreciating the way the light feels, the way the grass feels. These small things, dismissible at the start of Bill's journey, now in his final moments feel like the grandness of immortality, of ultimate and exponential life.