Charlie Plummer is eminently likable as Adam: he is thoughtful, open, earnest, and vulnerable, conveying the fear and hopelessness that often accompany mental illness in a moving way. The film hits some familiar story beats, but its incredible cast manages to make them feel less cliché. Though the narrative glosses over many aspects of mental illness for the sake of efficient storytelling - including the long and difficult road most people take before they get a correct diagnosis (if they ever get one at all) - the film captures other subtleties of living with a psychiatric disorder and ultimately tells a hopeful and empathetic story about the stigma and struggle involved with living as a mentally ill person. After he has a psychotic break in chemistry class, injuring a classmate and getting expelled in the process, Adam is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Anchored by a stellar cast, the movie, which is based on Julia Walton’s book of the same name, follows the story of Adam Petrazelli (Charlie Plummer), a witty, soft-spoken high school senior who wants to go to culinary school after graduation. Words on Bathroom Walls is a combination teen romance/family drama/coming-of-age story that aims for a sensitive, nuanced take on schizophrenia…and mostly pulls it off.
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