Adam (Charlie Plummer) is a witty, introspective teen pursuing his dream of becoming a chef. When Adam is diagnosed with a mental illness, he lives in fear of being exposed — until he meets Maya (Taylor Russell), an outspoken and fiercely intelligent girl who inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition. With its inspiring journey of love, acceptance, and hope, Words on Bathroom Walls is a triumphant story of overcoming life’s challenges and embracing who you are.

Studio: Lionsgate Films
Year: 2020
Release Date: November 17, 2020
Run time: 111 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Disc Spec: 1 BD
Region: 1

Words On Bathroom Walls portrays a wonderful example of schizophrenia in teenagers. It also adds a comedic essence to the illness, but it does not make fun of the disease. This movie is an eye-opener and a powerful phenomenon.

The story follows teenager Adam (Charlie Plummer) who is diagnosed with schizophrenia. He transfers to a Catholic school where he meets Maya (Taylor Russell). The two strike up a friendship immediately, and Maya tutors Adam. However, Adam is struggling with keeping the symptoms of his illness to a minimum.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which sometimes the person hears voices and has hallucinations. In Words On The Bathroom Walls, we visually see a black cloud that torments Adam’s mind. We meet three of the voices in his head which provide comedic relief with their big personalities: Rebecca (AnnaSophia Robb), Joaquin (Devon Bostick), and the Bodyguard (Lobo Sebastian). These comedic voices follow Adam and provide guidance along the way. We also meet Adam’s mom and stepfather (Molly Parker and Walton Goggins) who help their son as best as they can.

Words On Bathroom Walls, in its portrayal of Adam, definitely opens up a conversation that needs to be had amongst society: mental illnesses in teenagers. Adam feels as if there is no escape from his disease and as if he has to choose his sanity over his future. He feels pressured to be a perfect son, student and friend. He converses with his therapist throughout the movie and at one point he compares cancer and schizophrenic patients. He says when you’re schizophrenic “people can’t wait to make you someone else’s problem.” Adam feels as though his disease is a burden to himself and to his family.

Movie Quality: 10/10

Print/Audio Quality

The print is presented in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 with a 1:85:1 aspect ratio. The print looks very good throughout without any apparent issues. Colors are vibrant and carry pop which brings out the fine details. The detailed scenes stand out very well. Blacks are deep. I found the print to be crystal clear with no artifacts or print damage. The darker tones of the film looks great with the appropriate lighting making this film standout.
Print Quality: 9/10

The audio is presented in a DTS-HD MA lossless 5.1 mix. This is a very immersive soundtrack during the action sequences. This is a film where there is a lot of dialogue. Those looking for an audio mix that will take advantage of your equipment, this is the film for you. This is a very well done audio presentation that has dynamic range with the sound effects and a lot of panning from speaker to speaker. Dialogue is clean and crisp through the center channel.
Print Quality: 9/10

Special Features

  • Words on Bathroom Walls Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles for the main feature

Special Features: 4/10

Final Thoughts

There was a ton of wisdom in this movie about accepting yourself, flaws and all, as well as accepting other people in the same way. I have to say that I think Andy Garcia was my favorite, although Charlie Plummer is a very close second. Go see it. You won’t be sorry.

Overall Rating: 9/10