JAGGED MIND Review: Welcome to a World of Hurt

Where am I? Who am I? When am I?

Jagged Mind
The film is now streaming on Hulu in the U.S.

Billie leads a fractured, splintering existence.

Subject to periodic blackouts and subsequent memory gaps, Billie worries that she may be destined to follow in the footsteps of her late mother, who likewise suffered from similar ills. The film presents her life as a kaleidoscope of images, flashing by quickly before recombining, only to fall apart again.

Her friends endeavor to help her, though Billie remains locked in her own world, flailing and desperately in need of a safe harbor. She seems to have found it in the person of Alex, who is stable and loving, if a bit clingy. But clingy is OK for Billie.

Indeed, it may be just what she needs, a romantic partner who is ready to support her, to nurture her, to sustain her through her increasing bouts of whatever it is, exactly, that she is dealing with. They build a life together, but it keeps falling apart, for some reason.

Written by Allyson Morgan and directed by Kelley Kali, Jagged Mind builds up an intriguing head of steam. It becomes a guessing game, to try and figure out what, exactly, is beneath the surface.

Maisie Richardson-Sellers is immensely likable as Billie, giving her character a precise momentum; even when she's standing still, she's still moving. Even though she's struggling, she remains strong as she fights to retain her own independence, to lead her life the way that she wants to live it. It's a marvelous performance, since whether Billie has sufficient strength to overcome her challenges is the key to the story.

As fiercely dynamic as she appears to be in her best moments, she may be fighting a losing battle, especially when it comes to her relationship with Alex, as portrayed by Shannon Woodward. She too is a powerful woman, accustomed to getting what she wants, and that brings her into conflict in their relationship.

The conflict feels all too real, yet remains surprising, despite the familiar elements. It's a puzzle in which the pieces don't seem like they fit together, until they do, and then it may be too late. Though the manner in which things are resolved is not entirely convincing, by that point we're far too invested in Billie's fight for independence, her refusal to give up or give in, to stop watching.

That may the film's true power: don't look away or ignore what may be happening right in front of you.

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