Chained for Life backdrop
Chained for Life logo
2019·Drama·1h 31m
7.1
A beautiful actress struggles to connect with her disfigured co-star on the set of a European auteur's English-language debut.
Directed by Aaron Schimberg

Cast

Jess Weixler
Jess Weixler
Mabel
Adam Pearson
Adam Pearson
Rosenthal
Charlie Korsmo
Charlie Korsmo
Herr Director
Sari Lennick
Sari Lennick
Sarah
Stephen Plunkett
Stephen Plunkett
Max
Joaquina Kalukango
Joaquina Kalukango
Michelle
Frank Mosley
Frank Mosley
Frank
Eleanore Pienta
Eleanore Pienta
Molly
Joanna Arnow
Joanna Arnow
The Hospital Liaison
Will Blomker
Will Blomker
The Waiter
Rayvin Disla
Rayvin Disla
The Butler
Daniel Gilchrist
Daniel Gilchrist
Demby

Crew

Aaron Schimberg
Aaron Schimberg
Director
Aaron Schimberg
Aaron Schimberg
Writer
Sofi Marshall
Sofi Marshall
Editor
Adam J. Minnick
Adam J. Minnick
Director of Photography
Jess Weixler
Jess Weixler
Executive Producer
Ryan Zacarias
Ryan Zacarias
Co-Producer
Daniel Patrick Carbone
Daniel Patrick Carbone
Producer
Jane Schoenbrun
Jane Schoenbrun
Producer
Adam Pearson
Adam Pearson
Co-Producer
Aaron Schimberg
Aaron Schimberg
Sound Designer
Madeleine Molyneaux
Madeleine Molyneaux
Music Supervisor
Nat Jencks
Nat Jencks
Colorist

Popular Reviews

26 reviews
yas
yas
Chained for Life
very touching, will certainly make me think about it for weeks
very touching, will certainly make me think about it for weeks
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Max
Max
Chained for Life
Really lovely
Adam Pearson is incredible
Really lovely
Adam Pearson is incredible
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Eleanozzz
Eleanozzz
Chained for Life
HOLY REAL INDIE MOVIE. I actually really liked it, even tho i feel like too much was going on to catch everything that was happening. But i honestly didn’t mind, i’m a man with deep love for concept of chaos and confusion.
What they wanted to do with this movie in my opinion was: interrogating disability representation and perception of beauty in cinema.

And i think the name “chained for life” precisely portrays what the movie is about. A person is “chained” to its appearance, but one’s appearance isn’t always a cage - social labels are. Social labels are jail in its nature and art either breaks it or plays as a gaoler. 

Also that film-within-a-film notion? I ate that shit up. It absolutely did make the movie way more interesting and raw. 

But what really caught my attention was last two scenes: Mabel in a taxi and Rosenthal in a film crew bus. Scene in a taxi was exposition of her lack of empathy and performative act of understanding. Her privilege in a way chained her too, to an inauthentic performance in and out of a film. Even tho filming with Rosenthal forced her to think and see outside the box, her perception leads her vision, and her perception is led by her mentality and experiences. Not that easy to change, is it?

And the last scene, film crew in the bus, honestly felt like really normal scene. Filming ended and people went with their lives, performance is done, and every single person in the bus is just another human being. Our differences are real but the separation is artificial, it’s created by society. 
“heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter”
HOLY REAL INDIE MOVIE. I actually really liked it, even tho i feel like too much was going on to catch everything that was happening. But i honestly didn’t mind, i’m a man with deep love for concept of chaos and confusion.
What they wanted to do with this movie in my opinion was: interrogating disability representation and perception of beauty in cinema.

And i think the name “chained for life” precisely portrays what the movie is about. A person is “chained” to its appearance, but one’s appearance isn’t always a cage - social labels are. Social labels are jail in its nature and art either breaks it or plays as a gaoler. 

Also that film-within-a-film notion? I ate that shit up. It absolutely did make the movie way more interesting and raw. 

But what really caught my attention was last two scenes: Mabel in a taxi and Rosenthal in a film crew bus. Scene in a taxi was exposition of her lack of empathy and performative act of understanding. Her privilege in a way chained her too, to an inauthentic performance in and out of a film. Even tho filming with Rosenthal forced her to think and see outside the box, her perception leads her vision, and her perception is led by her mentality and experiences. Not that easy to change, is it?

And the last scene, film crew in the bus, honestly felt like really normal scene. Filming ended and people went with their lives, performance is done, and every single person in the bus is just another human being. Our differences are real but the separation is artificial, it’s created by society. 
“heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter”
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Nahuel Florentin
Nahuel Florentin
Chained for Life
Mi nueva Comfort Movie.
Mi nueva Comfort Movie.
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Meghan
Chained for Life
I love when good cinema recognizes good cinema (the muppet movie was mentioned)
I love when good cinema recognizes good cinema (the muppet movie was mentioned)
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