Films that come with a strong message are often looked at as important and essential, no matter the content. After all, it can’t always be superheroes and car chases. Sometimes, movies are made to entertain us, and sometimes, they’re made to give a stark look at the difficulties humans can face in the real world. Beautiful Friend , written and directed by Truman Kewly, takes a bleak, difficult look into the mind of an incel, and how far he’s willing to go to get what he wants.

Beautiful Friend opens during the start of the pandemic, when tensions and worries over the supply chain are at their height. Daniel (Adam Jones) a social outcast and former film student, kidnaps a woman named Madison (Alexandrea Meyer) whom he hopes can fill the role of a girlfriend and relationship in his lonely life. There is a constant, uncomfortable narrative dialogue of Daniel’s innermost thoughts, most of which are disturbing, as it paints a very clear picture right at the beginning of his Incel mindset.

Daniel wastes no time in locking Madison away, quite literally, in chains, as he attempts to get her to understand his motives. All the while, he’s filming every moment of this twisted game, making the actual movie feel more like a documentary, which only adds to the repulsiveness of what is taking place. Madison is understandably terrified and suffering in the beginning. She has no contact with the outside world, and she’s essentially treated as his puppet, required to do whatever it is that he feels compelled to ask of her.

Over time, Madison begins to be more calculating, attempting to befriend him and gain his trust more, so that she can use it to her advantage. This is where matters become confusing, because one viewer may take it as Stockholm Syndrome, or that she’s actually acquiring feelings for her captor, while others may see straight through it and understand that she’s doing what she has to in order to survive. 

Such is the conundrum that Daniel faces with her. While he is irrevocably broken and disturbed, he’s still intelligent, and questions her actions constantly, which often results in graphic depictions of violence.

There is no dancing around this subject – this movie is fraught with trigger warnings. There are many, many appalling, noxious, distressing scenes that focus on sexual assault, violence, physical and mental abuse, coercion, and manipulation. While the runtime is taught at just under 90 minutes, it’s nearly a constant running theme throughout its entirety, which quickly starts to feel gross.

When a creator sets out to make a story like this, it’s obvious it isn’t going to be a comfortable ride. While yes, that is partially the point,  to raise awareness and education on the matters at hand, it is going to undoubtedly become a very polarizing experience for anyone who can sit through it. This isn’t the first film to do this, nor will it be the last.

Accolades need to be made where needed. The cinematography, and sudo- documentary style of filming are very impressive. Jones’ portrayal of a deeply disturbed person who feels justified in everything they do is nothing short of admirable. It goes without saying that it must have been a very challenging assignment for him. Meyer is absolutely mesmerizing as she goes from scared victim to calculating enemy. Her portrayal of a woman who endures unspeakable abuse at the hands of a quiet psychopath is incredibly noteworthy.

The main problem with Beautiful Friend is what you are left to take away from it. The entire experience is disturbing and arduous to watch, but you keep hanging on, hoping for a satisfying resolution, only to be left with more questions than answers. Maybe this is the point of the whole thing, but if it is, there’s only going to be a small fraction of viewers who can truly sit back and appreciate it for what it is. Doing this cuts off your audience quotient right at the knees.

These types of films are often the most difficult to review. Was the acting, execution, and cinematography on point? Yes, it definitely was. Was it also a story that left you feeling disgusted and depressed, and sometimes not for the reasons intended? Also yes.

If you can stomach such a story, it’s a worthy watch. If you have an ounce of emotional reaction to any type of deep dive into the psyche of the worst members of society, then this very well may prove to be too much.