Polar

I find that some films can struggle to address mental health, it is often brushed off too lightly, glamorised or stigmatised - making the characters in question seem far removed from "the norm". Polar is the perfect example of a film that does the exact opposite. Set in London, Robin is just the guy walking next to you on the street, he's the stranger trying to talk to you on the tube and he's definitely the dude in the bright orange squirrel onesie that nobody bats an eyelid about. Everything about it feels so real. I'm not sure whether improvisation was used at all, but it certainly achieves that casual truthful dialogue that I'm personally always drawn to in filmmaking - like a conversation you accidentally happen to be overhearing. Drew Horner gives a really interesting raw performance that stays with you - you really want to climb inside Robin's mind and understand him more, whilst reminding us all of that fully relatable belief that nobody understands you. The camera work adds to the overall 'incredibly awkward, yet you can't not watch' feeling. For zero budget it's a mental health movie masterpiece that needs to be given massive recognition.