Unsound

It so refreshing to find a movie that delivers a sincere & serious message with no underlying agenda other than to educate and broaden awareness. Darious Britt's "Unsound" does just that. The film delivers a "right between the eyes" look into the world of mental illness. Unsound avoids all sensationalism and emotional gimmickry and delivers its' message with a very real "it is what it is" style.

Unsound follows the relationship of Regi, a young filmmaker, and his schizophrenic Mother. We watch as Regi fights not just his Mom, but the entire mental health system that values patient privacy and integrity in lieu of patient health. In a particularly heartbreaking scene we see Regi wait an entire day (shrieking his own responsibilities and other relationships) in an attempt to speak to his Mother's Doctor. The Doctor, scheduled to deem the Mother well and return her to society the following day, refuses to see or even speak to Regi due to patient confidentiality.

At its' core, Unsound is a film about love and relationships. There are numerous ways to categorize its' genre, but my personal take would be to call it a love story. It is a poignant, heartbreaking look into the lives of a son and the mentally ill mother he cares for. There are beautiful loving moments and there are moments of unspeakable insanity. The film teaches that without the proper handling, folks involved with the mentally ill are just not safe. Be it a Mother who is approaching her Son threateningly with a butcher knife or running into traffic alone playing suicidal games. Safety and normality require intervention and receiving intervention requires knowledge of the truth. Rarely do those suffering with mental illness speak the truth of their circumstances…It is only family and loved ones around them who bear the burden of the truth.

No surprise ending here…The film does not oblige by offering resolution and closure. Mental illness cycles, but never resolves…The problems of those in the audience are dwarfed by the disclosures in this remarkable piece of work…Thank you Darious for having the courage to share this heartbreaking story

I had been a regular viewer of Britt's YouTube videos for many years. In fact, he was one of the first youtubers I watched that got me into filmmaking. I had been anticipating his film for many years, however I didn't have reasonably high expectations given the clear financial limitations of Mr. Britt.

I was pleasantly surprised though.

It's clear that the performances are top notch, so despite occasional moments of narrative drag, the film usually kicks back into gear with its powerful acting and its uncanny ability to accurately portray the mental illness within its subject matter.

The film is obviously not perfect-its execution is much more autobiographical than narrative, but I'm still left with the same feeling I get whenever I watch a D4Darious video; a deep an abiding appreciation of moviemaking.

An impressively disciplined first feature from youtuber Darious Britt, who showcases his filmmaking advice in a tightly scripted and edited drama about a good hearted young man whose life begins to suffer due to his determination to assist his deeply troubled mother. The performances by Britt and To-Ree-Nee-Wolf are excellent, subtle and convincing. The supporting performances vary a little as some roles were most likely not played by professional actors but they all hold up and are never distracting. The story is compact and fast paced, lacking the self indulgent long shots and overly moody silences that have become as cliched as any blockbuster formulas. The low budget does show from time to time, as the camera they used, a Canon C300, is not a particularly cinematic image and there's a few too many shots in cramped apartments and undecorated hospitals and offices, but the editing and acting is so good that these are very minor complaints. Arizona is shown as a sparsely populated stretching piece of land that fits the theme of a young man seemingly alone in a desperate situation. The messages are conveyed simply and honestly, and avoid overly manipulative melodrama. The movie has a goal and it achieves it in short. It is a perfect example of story and character trumping budget and scale. A highly recommended watch that is moving and sincere.

Back in early 2017, I wanted serious advice on film making. So, being fifteen, I took to YouTube and the channel "D4DARIOUS" came up first. I clicked on it and it led me down a path of brilliant film making advice.

Now, let's talk about "UNSOUND". So, I first came across "UNSOUND" earlier THIS year because Mr. Darious Britt decided to release it on YouTube two years after its world premier. I thought this film was beautiful. It was a masterclass in low-budget film making. Also, this film is about Mental Health and the struggles that come with that.... Some would say that the topic of Mental Health is touchy... But, it is something that needs to be spoken about. Mr. Britt himself said this: "I just didn't think there were many films out there that portrayed mental health the way that it is, or the way I see it, anyway." This is the quote that is perfect for this film because I felt the same and it just resonated with me in every aspect. Also, every shot in this film has been thought out well and perfected beautifully. The screenplay is utterly brilliant and the acting is amazingly on point. If Mr. Britt does ever see this review I'd like to say thankyou for putting this story out there. It's beautiful and the film making aspect is second to none. If you love film or just want to watch something for filling, then watch this film. Nothing but a masterclass in film making and storytelling.

My only critique is it get's a little repetitive within the first hour, seems like every other scene is a phone call. That being said, the film is made with such passion and you can feel it through the screen. The performances from everyone are terrific, side characters feel like actual people. The cinematography and editing are on point, and the story is something I've never seen told so honestly. I'm excited to see darious tackle future projects.