Erika

DONT READ IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED IT! i started this film years ago, i mean years ago, i saw the first half. and never got to finish it since I had to leave a friends house. I finally watched the full thing. And it honestly made me feel something ive never ever felt watching a movie. I genuinely think it changed my life. i’m not even exaggerating. by the ending my lips were numb, my hands were shaking, my chest was pounding so hard I could feel it in my arms, my stomach dropped, and I was literally gripping my forehead trying to process what I was watching. I had tears running down my face while grinning like an actual maniac. I used like 20 tissues. my brain went completely blank during the finale because I was THAT locked in. the craziest part is I understood andrew completely. not in the “oh hes literally me” corny tiktok way. I mean genuinely understanding his mindset. the obsession, perfectionism, pressure, anger, proving yourself, never feeling satisfied, wanting to be GREAT at something even if it destroys you in the process. the movie hit me so hard because fletcher reminded me of multiple people and my brain in my own life at once: my old math teacher, my old piano teacher, MMA coaches/classes, every authority figure that pushed or failed me through pressure, humiliation, perfection, criticism, and performance, all because I wanted to be perfect, not good or great. the final performance might genuinely be the greatest ending scene I’ve ever seen in a movie. andrew after getting into a car crash, bleeding, not stopping when you should, never taking a break, walking off stage, letting impulse take over you, still not stopping?? hits a bit to close to home. (especially when he dropped it and came back) Then his dad seeing him in ‘true form’ he finally became, fletcher recognizing he actually achieved greatness, & then the solo getting more intense and overwhelming until nothing else exists except the drums. 🫠 I was literally shaking. one of my favorite parts was when his dad asked him if he’s ready to go, instead he refused to go back on stage. started playing off scripts, and then mouthed “fuck you” to fletcher while playing perfectly and then hit him w the cymbal 😭 but what makes the ending genius is that it isn’t just happy. andrew finally becomes what fletcher & himself wanted, but at the cost of literally everything else. the cut to black right after that was PERFECT too because the movie refuses to tell you whether the suffering was worth it or not. It just leaves you there drowning in adrenaline and emotion. this honestly might be the best movie i’ve ever watched. it just replaced The Basketball Diaries as my favorite movie after SIX years. and i haven’t made a review on here either.. 10/10. masterpiece. I dont think ill ever forget to decide to really sit down and watch it all because I decided to check movie watchlist on notes app.