What to Watch This Weekend: Nomadland, Mafia Inc, The Violent Heart, The Swordsman, Carmilla, I Met A Girl, I Care A Lot, Gladiator

For Those Longing To Go Outside: Nomadland (Theaters)
Nomadland highlights a different, beautiful lifestyle with a very human performance by McDormand, amazing cinematography, and a wonderful sense of community.  For more information, check out the review!

For An Offer You Can't Refuse: Mafia Inc (Virtual Cinema)
Mafia Inc.'s strong mix of brutality, intrigue, business, and family—fueled by stellar performances from Catellito and Grondin—make this film an offer you can't refuse.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Slow Burning Love Story: The Violent Heart (Theaters and Digital)

The Violent Heart will capture your heart with its interesting characters, surprising revelations, and slow burning story.  For more information, check out the review!

For An Understated Action Movie: The Swordsman (Digital and Physical)

The Swordsman is an understated historical dramatization, with exciting but not over-the-top action sequences and a perfectly cast reluctant hero and charismatic villain.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Beautifully Shot Gothic Vampire Movie: Carmilla (Shudder)

Carmilla is a beautiful piece of cinema, with fantastic cinematography, a moving, weighty soundtrack, and interesting, conflicted characters.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Colorful Celebration Of Life And Love: I Met A Girl (Amazon)

I Met A Girl has a moving performance by its charismatic lead, a wonderful bright style, and plenty of highs and lows in this story about love and mental illness.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Dark Comedy About Capitalism: I Care A Lot (Netflix)

I Care A Lot gets high marks for its dark comedy and Rosamund Pike's amazing performance.  If you're looking for a stylish satire, then this is the one for you.

For A Classic Action Film: Gladiator (Amazon)

The classic action film about Marcus Aurelius and his quest for revenge is now streaming on Amazon Prime.  If you haven't seen this, you'll be blown away by the imaginative action scenes and the overall story.

Luke Eve (Director) Interview for I Met a Girl, Mental Illness Romantic Dramady starring Brenton Thwaites Lily Sullivan Joel Jackson

Watch or Pass Interview with Luke Eve, director of I Met a Girl, a new romance drama comedy revolving around love and mental illness.  We discuss why Luke decided to direct this film, some of the choices he had to make to film this epic movie on a budget, and what he has been doing to keep himself busy during quarantine!

So give it a watch and make sure to check out the film (review here), which is available on all major digital distributors.  

I Met a Girl stars Brenton Thwaites, Lily Sullivan, Joel Jackson, Zahra Newman. 

Devon (Thwaites), an aspiring musician, embarks on an epic, cross-country journey to find the woman of his dreams Lucy (Sullivan) - who may be all in his head.  Devon's history of mental illness has put a strain on his family, including his brother Nick (Jackson) and Nick's expecting wife Olivia (Newman).  After the girl of Devon's dreams suddenly abandons him, he picks up and goes on a journey of love and discovery, a journey that is painful and enlightening for himself and those around him.  

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What to Watch This Weekend: I Met a Girl, The Devil All The Time, Sword of God, Trolls World Tour, Queen & Slim, Burnt Orange Heresy, #Alive, Fighting With My Family

For The Hopeless Romantic -  I Met A Girl (Digital)

I Met A Girl has a moving performance by its charismatic lead, a wonderful bright style, and plenty of highs and lows in this story about love and mental illness.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Religious Fan of Great Actors - The Devil All The Time (Netflix)

The Devil All The Time has amazing performances, deep characters, and tempts you with its exploration of faith, religion, and choice.  For more information, check out our review!

For Devout Horror Fan - Sword of God

Sword of God is a devoutly atmospheric masterpiece, with an amazing setting, wonderful, immersive effects and costumes, and an otherworldly aesthetic that will have you praying for more.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Horror Survival Fan - #Alive (Netflix)

This Korean zombie drama offers a refreshing take on the zombie isolation horror.  As a lot of people are isolating for other reasons, this film is a sign of life in the genre.

 

For The Wrestling Fan - Fighting With My Family (Amazon)

Fighting With My Family gives you a heartwarming story, filled with thoroughly enjoyable characters and action, that takes some creative liberties but still tells a solid tale.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Kids - Trolls World Tour (Hulu)

Trolls World Tour keeps the same style and characters that made the first movie a surprise hit, and adds a bunch of new and interesting music trolls and locations to the band, while also providing an avenue to talk to your kids about diversity and tolerance.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Dramatic Art Student - The Burnt Orange Heresy (Redbox)

The Burnt Orange Heresy paints an interesting picture, with fantastic performances and some very good writing, but the overall experience is hurt by a story that goes off the rails.  For more information, check out our review!

For A Realistic Take On The Black Experience - Queen & Slim (HBO)

Queen & Slim gives a window into racial injustice in America, told through stellar performances, strong writing, and a commitment to realism that preaches a powerful message.  For more information, check out our review!

I Met A Girl Review: A Light-Filled Performance Elevates This Movie About Love and Mental Illness

Release date: September 11, 2020
Running time: 108 minutes
Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Lily Sullivan, Joel Jackson, Zahra Newman

Devon (Thwaites), an aspiring musician, embarks on an epic, cross-country journey to find the woman of his dreams Lucy (Sullivan) - who may be all in his head.  Devon's history of mental illness has put a strain on his family, including his brother Nick (Jackson) and Nick's expecting wife Olivia (Newman).  After the girl of Devon's dreams suddenly abandons him, he picks up and goes on a journey of love and discovery, a journey that is painful and enlightening for himself and those around him.  

I Met a Girl has a bright, colorful style throughout despite the subject matter.  And this all starts with its charismatic lead.  Thwaites really carries this film, with his combination of charm, wonder, love, and personality.  He is such a joy to watch on screen and even when the scenes become painful, you are still rooting for his character.  On top of his character, the film overall has a bright style, with bold colors throughout.  Devon's wardrobe is stylish and colorful, the scenes have good color selection and shot choice, and occasionally the film will fill the screen with bright splashes of color.  And this bright character is helped along by some fantastic music choices.  In a movie about an aspiring musician, the filmmakers did a great job filling it with impactful and smart musical choices that contribute to the overall feel of the film. 

And the journey that Devon goes on is a fantastical one, with plenty of laughs, drama, and characters to meet along the way.  It is an interesting take on how far someone will go to believe what is in their own head, and one that is one part exciting to see and one part painful.  Once Devon meets Lucy, the film really opens up and the resulting voyage forms most of it.  And although Devon's journey is the main focus, and the source of much of the humor and happy experiences in the film, the movie also shows the effect that someone's mental illness can have on their family.  While Devon is out pursuing the woman of his dreams, his family goes through their own challenges and tribulations.  And in these parts, the film does have plenty of real, raw emotion.  The challenges that his family go through provide a lot of the most powerful scenes in the film (including a very emotional scene with Jackson).  

However, for a movie about mental illness, the depiction of Devon's disease has some highlights, but also has some parts that feel a little too fantastical.  There are other recent movies that I feel do a great job depicting mental illness, and although I did enjoy those parts of the film, I am unsure how accurate the depiction in I Met a Girl is.  And although the story has highs and lows, it does feel like the highs can come a little too quick in the film.  But that being said, the film has a wonderful ending, one that I absolutely loved.  It elevates the already strong performances and ties together a lot of the story.  

I Met a Girl is a tough movie to judge, but overall the light of the performance and lovely message overcome some inconsistencies in the depiction.  I Met A Girl has a moving performance by its charismatic lead, a wonderful bright style, and plenty of highs and lows in this story about love and mental illness.  

Watch it.

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