By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Do you have Amazon Prime? Before you read this review, watch it. I’ll steer clear of spoilers but this flick is fucking awesome and has a few solid layers so pay attention when you view it.
Tommy Shellner (Ryan O’Nan) has some problems. His adoptive father Dr. Nathanial Shellner (Judd Hirsch) is on his last leg. He’s dying yet still wants to take care of his children. The family reunites to say goodbye, but Tommy has ulterior motives for being back home.
Everyone thinks Tommy is crazy. His biological sister Julie (Jaime Ray Newman) who was also adopted by Dr. Shellner tries her best to watch out for her troubled brother. Their other adopted brother Harry (C.S. Lee) has his own issues. He has performance anxiety while on stage performing with the Philharmonic, and is also plagued by nightmares where he feels responsible for actions he doesn’t remember doing. Still a nagging and persistent feeling exists making him believe that he did some bad things.
The only child that seems to be living his best life is Leonard (Joseph Lyle Taylor). Leonard is also the only biological kid to Dr. Shellner and his wife Lillian (Caroline Lagerfelt). He, like his father is a psychiatrist. He’s proud of his dad and adores both of his parents, but feels he has always been pushed aside for his siblings. This causes a strong and sometimes violent divide between Leonard and his brothers and sister.
Things come to a head when Tommy descends into a tirade trying to find an urn that his childhood dog’s ashes are in. He believes that not only are the pup’s remains there, but also codes to fix whatever happened to him, Julie and Harry as children. Dr. Shellner insists that he didn’t do anything and that Tommy is hallucinating and his siblings initally agree.
Slowly though, memories begin creeping in. When Tommy finds a picture of a room that they were kept in, Shellner insists it’s merely a bomb shelter that was covered upon the purchase of their home. He maintains that there is no way Tommy could have ever stepped foot in it, yet upon seeing the photo Julie remembers too.
Harry starts having a panic attack. He even tries to take his own life as he becomes convinced he murdered a group of children by setting fire to a house.
The only one who has no bad memories of their childhood is Leonard. He believes Tommy is turning everyone against him and stands up for his dad. He even goes as far to lock Tommy up and nearly hits Julie when he feels attacked.
As evidence and memories seem to point directly at Dr. Shellner, he swears that he’s innocent. Soon, even Lillian begins to have her doubts as the evidence points to a type of MK-Ultra mind experiment gone wrong.
In the end the truth is revealed and makes for a cool surprise that ties everything together.
This was sensational. I’m so happy I happened by the trailer on Prime. The entire cast is beyond brilliant. Judd Hirsch fucking kills it as always! He portrays the doctor as a flawed sympathetic character that genuinely loves his family and desperately wants to avoid reliving the past.
The other standout performance was that of Ryan O’Nan. Tommy is a complicated dude. O’Nan expertly conveys the struggles of a man who is uncertain of his own sanity yet feels to his core that there is an unknown truth ready to be discovered. One can’t help but root for him and his journey to be healed or at least find out what happened that broke him in the first place.
The entire cast is brilliant. I can’t suggest this movie enough. Whether you’re a conspiracy nut like I am or just a lover of intense drama, great dialogue, fabulous acting and a riveting plot – this movie is for you.
Imma watch it again now.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9/10
