Trauma is something that no matter how hard we may try, at times is impossible to completely move past. For some of us, the experiences we endure in our lives shape who we are, both in good and bad ways. For main character Monica (Alexia Rasmussen), overcoming the trauma she’s gone through is futile, creating an avalanche of difficulties in They Want Me Gone.

Directed by Drew Britton, and written by Jessica Farrell and Britton, the film centers around single mom Monica, who is living in rural poverty trying to make ends meet for herself and her daughter. Haunted by a violent ordeal during her childhood, Monica tries in vain to move past the anxiety and grief associated with it. As her paranoia and angst begin to increase, she suspects those around her of threatening the life she has with her daughter. Coupled with living in crippling poverty and deplorable conditions, she begins to lose her grip on reality while trying to decipher what’s real and what’s a product of her mental breakdowns.

At its core, this is a film that is equally about the struggle to overcome trauma and mental health issues as well as extreme poverty. In many ways, it makes sense that these issues would all go together. The feeling of being trapped in a living situation that feels impossible to escape would understandably lead to struggles with depression and anxiety.

For Monica, the isolation and despondency from all of these issues leaves her feeling that her situation is inescapable. The story dives deep to examine this, giving ample time to focus on just how dreadful her home situation is while simultaneously weaving in her moments of mental unraveling.

We really get a sense of who she is, despite the fact that her reality becomes an increasingly gray area. There’s no denying she’s a good mother who is desperate to provide a better life for her daughter. There are many moments between the two of them that are both tender and heartbreaking, with the camera lingering long enough on scenes to feel as though you’re there in the room with them.

This is both a strength and a weakness for the film, as there are many scenes that go on for too long, and in turn can feel as though the plot is dragging. There are times where a scene remains so stagnant that it begins to feel awkward, and the viewer is left wondering if they’re missing something.

The plus side to this is that it helps to build the tension, and by the final act, you’re holding your breath as the climax unfolds. There’s also plenty of ambiguity, which leaves room for interpretation over what is real and what is merely shades of paranoid hallucination.

Rasmussen gives a convincing and poignant performance, knowing when to accelerate her emotional responses and when to pull back to allow for empathy. For that matter, the entire cast does well in making their characters feel like real people, which can make They Want Me Gone feel almost like a documentary instead of a fictional tale.

Despite the slow burn and tendency to dawdle, there are genuine moments of deep emotion, along with heartbreaking and terrifying realism. It’s an immersive examination of the unavoidable, crushing hold that adversity and mental decline can have on someone, and the repercussions that follow.

 7 Out Of 10