Anna (Dawn Olivieri) decides to plan her death. She gets everything in order until one night when everything changes. Her neighbor Sam (Wilmer Valderrama) is thrown out of his girlfriend’s apartment. Not wanting him to sleep on the floor, Anna takes him in. The two begin a beautiful friendship, but will it save Anna?
To Whom It May Moncern is a brutal movie that deals with a lot of serious issues. Anna is tired of life and wants to end it all. Unfortunately, we’re never given a reason or an insight into why she’s so depressed. She’s shown in social situations not fitting in or just checking out. A few times, she turns to drugs and sex to kind of numb her pain, but we are never given any backstory into what caused her destructive behavior.
No one knows Anna. She doesn’t have friends or anyone that she is remotely close to. She closes herself off from everyone around her.
Then enters Sam. Sam tries to break down all the walls that Anna has created. And he does help her to an extent. I must admit, when Anna takes him in, I expected this story to turn into some romance. Thankfully it doesn’t do that, I mean, it tries to, but it stops just as soon as it starts. A romance in this movie would cheapen the bond the two created, and it would take away from the actual story happening, which is Anna’s mental health.
Wilmer Valderrama and Dawn Olivieri have amazing chemistry on screen, but not in a romantic way. They’re wonderful as friends, and you can feel how close the two are.
This is an intimate film with a dark subject matter, and the movie reflects that. It has a very muted color scheme, and the camera movements make you feel like you’re in the room at all times.
The subject of suicide is handled well. It has an underlying message about mental health, but it doesn’t get preachy. Unfortunately, the script fell a bit flat by not having any backstory. If there had been some added element, it would have made a more significant impact. There is one line during a fight where Anna screams something that may give a bit of backstory, but I wish it would have been clearer. I had to rewind a few times to make sure I heard it correctly.
In conclusion, To Whom It May Concern is a film that handles a dark subject well. It feels realistic and intimate. The script is a bit rocky and could have used a little more insight into the character, but it’s a well-made film.
Review: To Whom It May Concern
Score
Review Nation Score
To Whom It May Concern is a film that handles a dark subject well. It feels realistic and intimate. The script is a bit rocky and could have used a little more insight into the character, but it's a well-made film.