You got to love a film that can take a dark subject matter such as suicide and make it fun. Yes, I said fun! Suicide is tragic and tragedy usually translates into sadness, and who wants to see another downer film. But in WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY, the tragic notion of suicide and all that befalls it kinda get pushed aside and a new creative approach is taken, one that makes for an entertaining ride!
When Zia, played by PATRICK FUGIT, slits his wrists in the very beginning over the break up of his girlfriend, he ends up in this purgatory place where suicide people get sent to. Once there, he learns that his ex-girlfriend has committed suicide as well and is somewhere in this place, thus he starts his quest to find her. Along the way, he enlists his friend Eugene, SHEA WHIGHAM, and Mikal, SHANNYN SOSSAMON, a hitchhiker they pick up, to help him find her. And in the end, these characters realize the value of life and that love has no bounds. The performances are wonderful throughout, with Shea Whigham really being the highlight.
The director, GORAN DUVIC, does a great job depicting this unhappy place that this story lives in. For the most part it is barren and practically colorless and cold, an "ends of the earth" type environment where no one is happy and no one smiles. But amidst the grey and mundane atmosphere he has painted, there is still life within this story, which is brought out by the performances of these actors. The dark humor that comes out of this is just that, and it's not overbearing nor does it try to hard to bring it out. The quirkiness of this off-beat drama comes across very natural and sustains an even keel tone throughout. The films subject matter is suicide, but you kinda forget that cause it focuses more on Zia's and Mikal's quest, which ultimately becomes the main story.
The film however does lack in depth of characters, which is probably it's biggest disappointment, only for the fact that very little was given on how these characters came to the place they are at. But at only 88 minutes long, the story moves along nicely getting to the point, but it does cut itself a little short. Wristcutters is a refreshing take on such a dark subject and it manages to be creative and entertaining. It's not the best indie film around, but it's definitely worth watching.
This film is rated R for language and disturbing content involving suicide.