Evelyn

The film tells the story of the director's younger brother, who suffered from schizophrenia and committed suicide years earlier. It follows his family as they, after years of not talking about it, resolve to open up and let their dead loved one back into their lives. They do this while camping and hiking through various beautiful parts of the British countryside.

There's a lot here most people will be able to identify with. How we refuse to talk about difficult subjects, when really talking's what we need most. How difficult death and grief are to deal with. And also how blame and guilt can linger after a person's suicide, however unwarranted those emotions may be.

I found some of the film difficult to watch, purely because it's such a real, personal story. And also because the family in question is so genuinely lovely that I just didn't want to see them in pain. But ultimately the film is heart-warming as well as sad. I would recommend watching it to anyone who's struggling to cope with the suicide of someone they love.

I appreciate the authenticity and courage of this family to be open in the filming of their grief. The film was honest and the camera work and landscape suited the tone perfectly. The father...he was incredibly hard to watch. He has great kids though, I loved their relationship and the old home movies from when they were kids added to the layers beautifully.

Powerful heartfelt trauma of a family dealing with tragedy. Fabulous film of a courageous way to cope with loss. A must watch.

My love and deep respect to all involved.

I happened upon this as a Netflix suggestion and oh my gosh, I was gripped from the start. Mental illness and suicide are never easy subjects to discuss, let alone invite the world into your pain. This film was real and tender and intensely gracious in its message of profound grief and deeply felt loss within a family. Powerful reminder of how our lives touch others.

This is a heavy, heavy film. It is a film about grief-a theme already explored in many ways this year alone (Midsommar, The Farewell, The Nightingale), but never this intimately or confrontational. Grief is one of the most mysterious and unpredictable parts of our nature, and it is bravely unpacked in this film, as if reopening a box of long lost memories...

Evelyn is a retreat along the path once walked by a brother and a son, as each family member pieces together and rebuilds the memory of him through reflection, emotion, logic, dreams, catharsis, and rediscovery.

Evelyn is a brave film, because it puts on display the complexities of grief and how much it differs among individuals. A single retreat may be healing for one person and provocative & unsettling for another who may have already made peace. We see a distant family come together as all of the moving parts of grief unfold in front of the camera, and nothing about it is easy or neat. But it is organic. It is courageous. It is universal. You can feel the suppressed become unsuppressed. You can feel an unwanted layer of pain peeled off of this family the way you sweat out toxins in a sauna. And from the emotionally affecting sister to the almost comically irritating dad, you really form a bond with this family from the beginning.

It's soul-wrenching and challenging, but in all the necessary ways. Evelyn being on Netflix may or may not undo any damage associated with Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, but it is a step in the right direction for mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

An essential watch.