Warning: This film addresses themes of suicide and mental health issues.
For anyone who has faced mental health challenges, Netflix’s All The Bright Places can be both a poignant and difficult watch. The film opens with a dramatic scene featuring high school student Lily Harper, who is perched on the edge of a bridge—the very spot where she lost her brother in a tragic accident. As she contemplates her life, another student, Ben Carter, unexpectedly jogs by and climbs up next to her, urging her to step back from the ledge.
This moment sparks a complex relationship between the pair, both grappling with their own mental health struggles. While Ben strives to help Lily navigate her grief over her brother’s death, his own issues from a troubled past begin to surface.
One of the film’s key themes resonates deeply: the idea that “people don’t like messy.” Ben articulates this sentiment while discussing his experiences of being labeled the school’s “weirdo” and avoiding conversations about his traumatic upbringing. In my own teenage years, I felt a similar pressure to mask my family’s challenges. My father was incarcerated, and I lived with my aunt, concocting countless tales to explain my situation to classmates. The stigma around mental illness often leads to silence and untruths, as Ben’s character illustrates.
The film poignantly captures the essence of suffering in silence, portraying the facade of a happy, outgoing persona that conceals inner turmoil. One of the most striking scenes occurs when Ben attends a support group for teens coping with mental health issues. The unexpected arrival of Sarah, the quintessential popular girl who seems to have it all together, shifts the atmosphere. Her admission of past suicide attempts and struggles with bulimia emphasizes that mental health battles can affect anyone, regardless of their outward appearance.
If discussions of suicide resonate as a trigger for you, it may be wise to approach this film with caution. While the acting is competent, there are moments that felt unsettling, particularly when Ben’s persistence in seeking Lily’s affection crosses the line into discomforting territory.
Nevertheless, All The Bright Places successfully highlights the prevalence of mental health struggles and the importance of open conversations about these issues. It challenges the notion that individuals should hide their pain, advocating for a society that embraces mental health as an integral part of our collective experience. For more insights on navigating emotional challenges, check out this blog post.
In summary, while All The Bright Places may not be for everyone, particularly those sensitive to its heavy themes, it does offer a valuable perspective on mental illness and the need for empathy and understanding.
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