movie review for headspace

Where to Watch

Bonko Khoza (Norman) Roberto Pombo (Virgil) Chris van Rensburg (Max) Jana Louw (Sophie) James Cairns (Gus) Zak Hendrikz (Zolthard) José Domingos (Mike) Dineo du Toit (Sandy) Michelle du Plessis (Frankie) Sparky Xulu (Mr. Hernandez)

Gerhard Painter, Paul Meyer

After chasing the evil Zolthard through a wormhole, 3 aliens find themselves stranded in the brain of 16-year old Norman.

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> Headspace (2022) Film Review

Reviewed by: Jennie Kermode

For most single people without children, when conditions at home become unbearable, there is the option of moving away and trying something else. Disabled people, however, may lack that option, forcing them to resort to more radical solutions. Tony (Mark Smith), who has Down Syndrome, needs to live in a group home where he can get support with things like managing money and preparing meals, but doing so means having to put up with Michael (Daniel Ryan), who plays the same song continuously, unwilling to turn it off even at the dinner table.

Headphones are the obvious solution. Unfortunately for Tony, his have broken and he has no money with which to buy more. He does what is known in the system as ‘therapeutic work’ in a supermarket; it’s preferable to being idle, but his boss just doesn’t seem to comprehend the idea that, since other people are getting paid for performing the same tasks, he might deserve wages. In every aspect of life, he’s expected to grin and bear it for other people’s sake. But when it becomes clear that the rules will never offer you justice, what do you do? It might be time to start breaking them.

Aisling Byrne’s Oscar-qualifying short doesn’t ask viewers to pit Tony because of his disability. It asks the we empathise with him, something most will find easy to do. Balancing its grim observations with sly humour, it very effectively captures the community dynamics in both the home and the workspace. This is thanks in significant part to Smith, who can show us hard-done-by whilst retaining a warmth and charisma which would make him a natural fit for a Ken Loach film or similar.

A film about the small acts of rebellion and the unexpected connections which make us feel human, Headspace is a strong piece of work with a lot to recommend it.

Director: Aisling Byrne

Writer: Aisling Byrne

Starring: Mark Smith, Lauren Larkin, Daniel Ryan, Simon Delaney, Jackie O'Hagan

Runtime: 15 minutes

Country: Ireland

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Directed by Gerhard Painter , Paul Meyer

Watch out aliens about

This is an alien invasion film like no other – the aliens are miniature but still want to take over the world!

Bonko Khoza Roberto Pombo Chris van Rensburg Jana Louw James Cairns Zak Hendrikz Jose Domingos Dineo Du Toit Michelle Du Plessis Sparky Xulu Nelisa Ngcobo Dianne Simpson

Directors Directors

Gerhard Painter Paul Meyer

Writers Writers

Daniel Buckland Ronald Henry Paul Meyer Gerhard Painter

Luma Animation Animationville The Ergo Company

Popular reviews

Review by Supermarios05 ★½

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Do you remember South Africa, where Triggerfish Animation, the studio that gave birth to one of my favourite films ever, is located? Lo and behold, it is not the only studio that has embarked on the animated project, for a certain Luma Animation has also come to town, making its debut with the feature film Headspace. Released fresh this year, Headspace is an animated film that came literally out of nowhere, with no strong name behind it, and which managed, nonetheless, to get into the cinemas, grossing $1.3 million (South Africa, with $816,283, the most profitable), with minimal if any publicity. What is known about this film, however, or what little I have seen of it, is that it sucks,…

Review by Emilia Mazur ★★

It's fine for what it is. Story is ok, art style is ok, but the animation is kinda stiff

It's nice to see production from a South African studio though

Review by PUNQ ★½

The human/alien conversations felt too juvenile, but at least it was on the level of the target audience. The adventure was unimpressive, so it relies mainly on the dialogue and interaction going on. Some mild fun, but ultimately a generic one that didn't have the ambition to break the mold.

Review by Jeryl Koh ★

Story and Characters: 1.5/5 Animation: 0.5/5 Soundtrack and Other Elements: 1/5 Level of Enjoyment: 2/5 Overall Score: 5/20 Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Movie Rating: Mild Song: “Samo Mi Se Spava” by Luke Black (Because it’s way too appropriate for a movie like Headspace) – youtu.be/gPRfg9wzbpw?si=kcsBSrIt4cvmmkc0

Headspace is indeed a movie alright.

I was kind of expecting the worst from this South African animated movie that came absolutely out of nowhere, as do most foreign CG animated movies I watched for the past few years. However, while Headspace is pretty bad, with its stiff and uncanny animation and very generic writing with a generic and cliché cast of characters and lacklustre voice acting, this alien invasion movie is less painful that what…

Review by KadeusPL ★★★

Not awful but HOLY SHIT the animation is so fucking ugly in this. It looks like those 3d animated porn videos and that's not a complement.

Review by zebster114 ★½

saw this movie i never heard of on 123movies so i watched it what a trip

Review by Rodrigo Soares ½

It had all been quite uncannily painless. I was left with a sense of not having suffered enough. Only sometimes in dreams did I experience certain horrors, glimpses of punishment which would perhaps yet find its hour.

Iris Murdoch

Review by Flrsi

I'm a little too biased to give a rating or opinion - except that this probably has the best Offline Edit Assistance (original Flying Circus crew) I've ever seen.

Review by MudcakeBunnelby ½

I can't even remember when I watched this, but what I do remember is that they kept the villain in the old lady's brain as she was taken to a mental hospital. Is she just under his control forever?

Review by Rishav_22 ★★

Headspace begins with a strange accident that sends Gus, Sophie, and Max from the Andromeda Galactic Bureau of Investigation—along with their miniscule starship, a microscopically tiny rust bucket—into 14-year-old Norman's head. They have the ability to see and hear what he sees and hears. Norman is required to assist the nanosized aliens fighting crime in order to rescue Earth from Zolthard, an evil extraterrestrial who has become lodged in the mind of the principal of the school. I'm glad that a different South African animation studio, aside from Triggerfish Animation, tried their hand at making a feature film. Unfortunately, Headspace lacks some South African personality and feels a touch too generic. Although the story is visually engaging thanks to the…

Review by BrunoVega ★

La ciudad en la que sucede casi toda esta película debe de estar habitada por tan solo 20 personas y todas parecen Sims

Review by pattriccija ★★★

so unnecessarily funny

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Short takes

Not suitable under 7; parental guidance to 9 (violence, scary scenes, themes)

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details of classification and consumer advice lines for Headspace
• a review of Headspace completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 10 November 2023 .

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare or disturb children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie’s message

A synopsis of the story

Norman (voice of Bonko Khoza) is just a normal science geek, infatuated with his beautiful friend Charlene (voice of Nelisa Ngcobo), picked on by the school bully and interested in all sorts of conspiracy theories involving space and extraterrestrials, much to the amusement of his classmates. Meanwhile, in another galaxy, microscopic peacekeepers, Captain Max (voice of Chris Van Rensburg), Special Officer Sophie (voice of Jana Louw) and Tech Specialist Gus (voice of James Cairns) are trying to defeat the evil alien Zolthard (voice of Zak Hendrikz), who is determined to attack every planet and subdue every life form in his quest to gain absolute control over the entire universe. After thwarting Zolthard’s plans with their planet, Zolthard’s ship chases the trio of peacekeepers and pursues them through a wormhole that leads to Earth. Their damaged ship is engulfed in flames and crash lands in Norman’s iced tea. Then, the peacekeepers and their ship are sucked into Norman’s mouth and from there they make their way to his brain. Norman can hear them and they can control Norman when necessary but no one believes that tiny aliens have taken residence inside him. That is, until Zolthard himself possesses Mrs. Witherington (voice of Zak Hendrikz), the overbearing high school Principal, and uses his mind-control powers to turn some of the teachers into his personal, zombie-like henchmen. With help from Norman and his friends, the peacekeepers must devise a way to stop Zolthard from contacting his mother ship and sending the coordinates to Earth, lest the entire population of the planet also be turned into mindless zombies.

Themes info

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Alien life forms and their intent to control the human race; Abuse of power; Conspiracy theories; Bullying.

Use of violence info

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

• Zolthard shoots many of his own alien robots in the head. This happens nearly every time they do something that displeases him. The robot heads are blown off.
• In a fit of rage, Zolthard shoots randomly around his spaceship with his gun.
• A laser beam targeting a planet explodes and damages the ship it was transmitting from.
• Zolthard shoots at the peacekeepers’ spacecraft, repeatedly hitting it.
• Zolthard tells the peacekeepers to surrender or that he will pulverize them.
• Sophie launches their trash shoot in retaliation and Zolthard’s spaceship is hit with flying rubbish.
• The peacekeepers’ spaceship bursts into flames as it approaches Earth.
• Principal Witherington repeatedly slams her phone on the table and then throws it through a window.
• Two zombie teachers pursue Norman and Charlene as they try to escape on a golf cart. They are repeatedly hit, sometimes grabbed, and eventually forced sideways into a car, where Norman smashes his head into a side window, cracking the glass.
• Charlene kicks one of the teachers repeatedly as he is trying to climb into their cart to grab them.
• Sophie possesses Norman and causes one teacher to be launched from the golf cart and fly into the side of a street vendor’s business. She then makes the other teacher crash the cart into a fountain, the impact causing him to fly into the water.
• A character rips a door off a car.
• Zolthard puts a robot alien creature into Norman’s ear and attempts to take over his mind.
• Sophie kicks a robot in the head.
• A robot strangles and repeatedly punches Max.
• A robot slaps, punches, throws, pushes, and slams the peacekeepers around their ship. Eventually, one of the peacekeepers manages to rip out all the wires at the back of its head and incapacitate it.
• Sophie shoots a robot with a powerful gun, blasting its body and leaving only its head.
• Max tries to throw the head away but is knocked out when the head ricochets back into him.
• Max shoots the robot head with a gun, and it explodes.
• Zolthard keeps getting a helmet shoved down on his head.
• A teacher is hit in the groin with a basketball.
• A character angrily screams: “I will tear you apart!”
• Norman and Zolthard are nearly crushed by falling scrap metal as a giant transmitter crashes to the ground.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under five info.

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

• Two normal-looking teachers are transformed into mindless zombies. Their eyes glow a strange purple, and they shuffle awkwardly yet move quite fast. They are very creepy and menacing and are constantly trying to capture Norman and his friends.
• A creepy image of Zolthard’s head is suspended in the air during a transmission.

Aged five to eight info

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

• Norman and his friends venture back to the high school to see if they can find out what Zolthard is up to. It is night and everything is dark and shadowy. There is an ominous sense of impending peril as the students venture deeper inside the school. The two zombie teachers soon spot them and give chase. The students must hide while they are pursued. They are nearly captured on multiple occasions. The suspenseful music and the sinister growling sounds coming from the zombies as they close in on the kids, and eventually drag an unconscious Norman into another room where they restrain and threaten him, could be distressing for some young children.

Aged eight to thirteen info

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

• Nothing further noted.

Product placement

• None noted.

Sexual references

Nudity and sexual activity, use of substances, coarse language.

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

• Mindless metal
• Incompetent
• Wussing out

There is also some crude humour, such as:

• A character says that he, “nearly broke his butt bone”.
• Every time the peacekeepers take control of Norman’s body, Norman lets out a big fart.

In a nutshell

Headspace is an animated adventure with a predictable plot and some very intense characters. While it may appear to be geared towards younger audiences this is not a film for small children but rather one that will be better enjoyed by older kids, aged 10 and over, and with parental guidance for ages 7-9.

The main messages from this movie are to stay true to yourself and to your beliefs, no matter what anyone else thinks; and that you will never know your true potential until you try.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• Persistence
• Helpfulness.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

• Trying to control other people.
• Being angry and aggressive, as opposed to kind and patient.
• Taunting, teasing or bullying others.
• Ridiculing others because of their beliefs.

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Headspace Reviews

• 1 hr 29 mins
• Horror, Suspense, Science Fiction
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Creepy supernatural thriller concerning a young slacker (Christopher Denham) who mysteriously develops increased brain power that causes fearful flashbacks and horrific visions. When people around him start dying in nasty, unexplained ways, suspicions rise that he may be a serial killer. Directed by Andrew van den Houten. An outstanding supporting cast is led by Olivia Hussey and William Atherton (who also coproduced), along with Dee Wallace-Stone, Sean Young and Udo Kier.

Child-actor-turned-director Andrew van den Houten's first feature is an ambitious if not entirely successful horror picture in which a disaffected young man experiences a brainstorm that simultaneously makes him smarter while opening his mind to monsters from another dimension. The story begins in 1995: Brothers Harry (Daniel Manche) and Alex (Quinn Lujan) are celebrating Harry's 10th birthday with their parents (Sean Young, Larry Fessenden) when Mom experiences a spontaneous nosebleed as she's presenting Harry's birthday cake. Later that night, the boys see her flaying the family dog and still later their dad drags them out of bed and makes a run for it, killing Mom with a shotgun when she tries to stop them. Some 20 years later, Alex Borden (stage-trained Christopher Denham of the 2003 Broadway revival of Athol Fugard's Master Harold and the Boys) is a disaffected young slacker living on Manhattan's Upper West Side and keeping a roof over his head by house-sitting for wealthy homeowners. He's a relatively contented underachiever until the day he matches minds with speed-chess wizard Harry Jellinek (Erick Kastel) at an outdoor table on Riverside Drive. Within hours Alex is breezing through complicated books and adducing highly personal things about strangers. But his newfound mental abilities come at the cost of debilitating migraines, nightmares, flashbacks to his childhood and terrifying visions of people with blood leaking from their eyes, noses and ears. After a scary fainting spell he winds up under the care of Dr. Karen Murphy (Olivia Hussey), a specialist in patients who've suddenly begun using previously dormant parts of their brains. Alex's acquaintances subsequently begin falling prey to a brutal serial killer, raising the inevitable question: Is Alex slaughtering people in some sort of mental fugue state, or are his demons of the mind real and out for blood? While neither especially chilling nor particularly unpredictable, van den Houten's debut, scripted by Steve Klausner from a story by Troy McCombs and William M. Miller, aspires to little more than the usual stalk-and-slash clichés, it features a number of nice touches, including a knowing nod to H.P. Lovecraft's classic short story Pickman's Model and a slew of familiar faces in small roles, such as Udo Kier as a spooky priest and Dee Wallace-Stone and William Atherton as baffled doctors.

Headspace (2023) Stream and Watch Online

Looking to feast your eyes on ' Headspace ' in the comfort of your own home? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the Jackson Pineda-directed movie via subscription can be a huge pain, so we here at Moviefone want to take the pressure off. Below, you'll find a number of top-tier streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription alternatives - along with the availability of 'Headspace' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the various whats and wheres of how you can watch 'Headspace' right now, here are some particulars about the lonelytree film productions romance flick. Released June 5th, 2023, 'Headspace' stars Alaina Reimer , Jackson Pineda , Estaban Angel , Brandon Frye The movie has a runtime of about 25 min, and received a user score of (out of 100) on TMDb, which compiled reviews from respected users. Interested in knowing what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "Stuck between the past and the present, a college student tries to write an essay while a sinister, melancholic presence threatens his every task." .

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By Alan Ng | October 2, 2023

Aisling Byrne’s dramatic short,  Headspace , takes us into the everyday lives of some remarkable adults. Tony (Mark Smith) lives in a home where he and his neighbors are all intellectually  disabled  in one way or the other. Tony has Down Syndrome but has his own room and a job. That said, he requires supervision, though only minimal. Tony has an advocate at work to ensure he’s being paid fairly and a support system at his community house.

While  Headspace   gives us a snapshot of a typical day in Tony’s life, the story adds an interesting wrinkle with his neighbor, Michael (Daniel Ryan). Like Tony, Michael has Down Syndrome but is a bit of an attention seeker. To make matters worse, it’s Michael’s birthday, and everyone needs to know it… all the time… every second of the day. This annoys Tony.

“…it’s Michael’s birthday, and  everyone needs to know it … all the time… every second of the day.”

Headspace   shines because it is a simple story. Tony is quiet and wants to live in peace. Now, he has to find a way to find that peace again when in the presence of Michael. The lead tries to figure it out on his own but realizes he needs to confront the situation.

Along with its narrative comes a touching and authentic performance by Mark Smith. He is not acting, and yet, he is. He hits all the right emotions when set against Ryan’s more boisterous portrayal. Ultimately, this is acting and doesn’t even come close to looking like a community theater play.

I’m pretty sure we know disabled adults who require lifelong supervision, and  Headspace   is a touching glimpse into their lives.

Headspace (2023)

Directed and Written: Aisling Byrne

Starring: Mark Smith, Daniel Ryan, etc.

Movie score: 7.5/10

"…a touching and authentic performance by Mark Smith."

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

After an encounter with a mysterious stranger, a man finds his intellect rapidly expanding. As the power of his mind grows, so does the mystery of a series of brutal murders. After an encounter with a mysterious stranger, a man finds his intellect rapidly expanding. As the power of his mind grows, so does the mystery of a series of brutal murders. After an encounter with a mysterious stranger, a man finds his intellect rapidly expanding. As the power of his mind grows, so does the mystery of a series of brutal murders.

• Andrew van den Houten
• Troy McCombs
• Steve Klausner
• William M. Miller
• Christopher Denham
• Larry Fessenden
• 48 User reviews
• 37 Critic reviews

• Young Harry
• Nude Model in Painting

• Mark, Ambulance Orderly

• Charlie, Ambulance EMS
• Alice, Ambulance Driver

• Dr. Ira Gold

• Dr. Denise Bell
• (as Dee Wallace Stone)
• CT Scan Operator

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Goofs (at around 1h 22 mins) When Alex discovers his dead brother, he throws up in the sink then stumbles over the body, and picks up a blue bottle containing alcohol. In the following scenes, that same bottle reappears then disappears in the spot where Alex moved it from.
• Connections Followed by Fractured Skulls: The Making of Headspace (2006)
• Soundtracks Party Dress Performed by After Midnight Project Under license from Diversified Music Group, a unit of Diversified Entertainment Properties, Inc. Written by Jason Evigan and Greg Evigan Published by Publishing Designee of Jason Evigan

User reviews 48

• azathothpwiggins
• Mar 13, 2022
• How long is Headspace? Powered by Alexa
• September 18, 2005 (United States)
• United States
• Headspace: El rostro del mal
• Katonah, New York, USA
• Modern Headspace Productions LLC
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Feb 19, 2006

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 29 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Movie and Film Reviews (MFR)

Headspace (2005)

I won’t tell you.                                                                                      

Not…how to read volumes by simple touch.                                    

Never…to know when ripe vibrant woman

is ready…for lunch.

I won’t tell you

for what you think of me…

Scalded notions too absurd,

Dwelt upon where only fears are heard

Child splendor, cast out vagrant…

And I only prodding you more…

To be something that could reach heaven’s door.

Copyright c June 2001 James C. Horak

On occasion we find a story that approaches the magnificent potentials of which we find but transitory clue for what lies deep within. Touching our dreams, revealed in part by our fantasy excursions of what gives life and breadth to imagination, such times we can all find some degree of assonance with the wonderous.  In Headspace , such potential lies only to be sold out to some Mexican-like horror movie made in the sixties. Problematic complexity, various anomaly of huge interest are all overlooked to focus on blood and gore…and that not well done. More confused than otherwise, the viewer doesn’t even really know at any one time if one scene is actual or imagined, if one rampage occurred or is merely anticipated.

On one hand chess variations are explained expertly, on the other the viewer is left holding the bag to enjoin any continuity scene to scene, any point to a series of events from the perspective of the actor or actors involved. As if the ingredients were all prepared as a stew instead of carefully scripted. The priest says this, the former Soviet parapsychologist says that and in the middle is an interdimensional demon tearing those luckless enough to come into contact with our protagonist apart.

No matter that mental feats reflect on many documented anomaly, that science must admit untapped, even unimagined potentials lie inside us all yet to be accessed. No, we have to have a Mexican-like sixties vintage horror flick that ends with all participants heaped up on the garbage pile because they transgressed conventional belief…went beyond religious “containments”. Heaven and hell must again be defined and all put back right with the world. What a bunch of clap trap this tale of  wonderful potential becomes!

Indeed it is not the actors fault. Flawless performances are given by Christopher Denham and Eric Kastel. Always enjoyable is the acting of Udo Kier as the priest. The lovely Sean Young is killed early on, as is the always menacing, William Atherton. As for the directing and script writing…better left unsaid. I wouldn’t claim it, but just make some lame excuse about running out of money while being attacked by a herd of elephants from an adjacent set.

Not recommended. Only reviewed so I could opportunistically throw in a poem.

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Headspace Stories

I came to learn that the storyline in my head … was holding me back.

Peter, Belgium

on what he learned when sitting with himself

Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

on finding her happy place

Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.

Davide, London

on using meditation to turn his life around

I now go to a place where I was previously afraid to go — inward, to myself.

Felix, Germany

on learning to smile again

Headspace … has allowed me to simply be present with my patients, and not stuck in my emotions.

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on how meditation has benefited her as a nurse

Andy’s guidance helped me to understand the functioning of the mind.

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I was broken … then someone told me to try meditation.

on how meditation proved to be a turning point

The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.

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A happy workforce leads to a happy work environment.

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Headspace gives me a slice of the day that’s just for me.

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on prioritizing self-care

Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.

Rachael, UK

on meditation’s positive effect on family life

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Tell me if this sounds familiar: A romantic couple, one American, one British, one the proprietor of a small, very narrow business, happy with family and friends but lonely and a little lost, one a global superstar, but lonely and a little lost. Both are spectacularly beautiful. And there’s a reason the star has to visit the ordinary person’s home, where a disgusting beverage is offered, plus a gift of a painting that carries a lot of meaning and constant predatory paparazzi. 

Yes, you will recognize a lot of the elements of “ Notting Hill ” in “The Idea of You.” It is a glossier but lesser work from writers Michael Showalter (who also directed) and Jennifer Westfeldt , whose better films have more texture. Here, they work from a beloved novel by Robinne Lee . The book's Amazon blurb reads, “included on The Skimm's 2020 list of Eight Books Both You and Mom Will Love.” Perhaps they erred on the side of fan service, hoping that their stars would fill in what the script was missing. They’re partially right. Anne Hathaway , playing the “older woman” of 40, is still as dewy as she was as an ingenue, and rocketing-to-stardom Nicholas Galitzine is a swoon-worthy Prince Charming. They do their considerable best, even when the screenplay limits them to longing glances, steamy embraces, and heart-breaking partings. 

Hathaway plays Solène Marchand, owner of a small art gallery in the trendy Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles and a divorced mother of Izzy ( Ella Rubin ), a high school junior. Solène's ex-husband, Daniel ( Reid Scott ), who is better at spending money on Izzy than spending time with her, has purchased VIP access passes for Coachella so that Izzy can have a meet-and-greet with August Moon, a boy band she has not loved since 7 th grade. At the last minute, Daniel bails on the festival for a business trip, and Solène has to abandon her plans for a solo camping trip to take Izzy and her friends to the concert. 

That is where Solène somehow mistakes a singer’s trailer for a port-a-potty, this story’s attempt at a meet-cute. The singer is poor little rich boy Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), who has been a pop sensation since he auditioned to be a part of a boy band when he was 14. He is drawn by Solène’s combination of normality (not recognizing him) and stunning beauty (I mean, it is Anne Hathaway). He tracks her down at her art gallery, buys everything in it, and, because he is constantly hounded by press and fans, they go to her home for lunch, where they share some stories about their trust issues (and then a kiss).

So far, so good. But this is where it goes from a barely plausible fairy tale to a big, juicy target for one of those YouTube snark-fests about plot holes and character implausibility.  Despite being alive in 2024 and Hayes’ experience for nearly half his life with constant attention from fans and media, they somehow think Solène can go on tour with the band through Europe and smooch in public with no one noticing. While they did inch his age up four years from the novel’s 20, somewhat diminishing the oooky factor, they don't give Hayes much of a personality other than that of lost, sensitive guy whose immediate, unwavering devotion speaks only of his perfect boyfriend-ness. Never of, oh, I don’t know, undifferentiated neediness; his feeling of abandonment by his mother; any thought he might have about someday wanting children; any issues of generational disconnect; cultural, developmental, or life experience. 

Solène’s character is just as thinly developed (still hurt by her ex, adoring her daughter – though very cute when they sing along to St. Vincent in the car), enriched by her support for local artists, and, later, understandably unsure about whether a relationship with a pop star seven years older than her daughter is a good idea. But Hayes has even less to work with. His only traits are being in love with Solène and maybe wanting to write some songs. It's worth mentioning that the songs in the film, both original and needle drops, are quite good. 

If they gave Oscars for bringing underwritten characters to life, Hathaway and Galitzine would be contenders. Though many in the audience may find more satisfaction from the sweet revenge on her cheating ex than the romance, as implausible as it is, we cannot help rooting for Solène and Hayes to find a way to make it work. 

On Prime Video now.

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

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115 minutes

Anne Hathaway as Solène

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Headspace Reviews

What is the purpose of Headspace and for whom has it been designed?

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 17, 2007

The boredom, repetition, and general incoherence of the film are rave-like -- you might even experience nausea and/or disorientation.

Full Review | Mar 30, 2007

The throbbing, insinuating soundtrack is terrific, and the animated interludes are a welcome respite from the blathering heads, but Senger's point, if he has one, is maddeningly unclear.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Mar 30, 2007

Mostly the film avoids academic trappings, which means that it will be catnip to devotees but impenetrable to outsiders.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 29, 2007

Your mental health coach is ready to text you now

Instagram and TikTok are go-to social media platforms for mental health advice, some of it dispensed by influencers who call themselves coaches.

Through pricey courses or one-on-one meetings, the influencers often promise clarity, motivation, and healing that leads to a new lifestyle — the one you've always chased after. But whether or not they have any formal training, in mental health care or coaching, is another matter. Unlike psychologists, psychiatrists, and other licensed mental health professionals, anyone can call themselves a mental health coach.

Experts say the mental health coaching trend is relatively new, and that consumers should beware of empty guarantees made by people with few or no credentials aspiring to build a business or social media following. But what influencers aren't wrong about is the difficulty of accessing mental health help, or even the support of a trained professional with expertise in coping, habit formation, and behavior change.

Sometimes you don't need a therapist; you just need a skilled guide who can help you better manage conflict or your sleep habits and hold you accountable.

The fields of mental health and behavioral coaching have taken notice of the trend and the problem it claims to solve. That's why Headspace, which got its start as a meditation app more than a decade ago, launched direct-to-consumer, text-based mental health coaching in April, after providing the service through employer and health plan partnerships.

Lyra Health, a digital mental health company, also offers mental health coaching , but only to employees of companies that pay for it. Some companies, like BetterUp, provide career, communications, and life coaching that could improve mental health, but they don't specify that area of focus.

Headspace's service is a compelling example of what mental health coaching can look like when practiced by trained professionals. For $99 per month, members get three text-based, 30-minute coaching sessions per month.

Before a member begins coaching, Headspace screens to identify whether the person might be in crisis or need urgent mental health treatment, in which case coaching on its own may be ineffective. An onboarding process attempts to set a clear expectation that coaching isn't therapy. Coaches work with members to set defined and achievable goals, like going to bed 30 minutes earlier or adding more movement to their daily routine.

The company employs the majority of its coaches as staff, and all coaches receive regular training and oversight. Coaches have daily access to a licensed on-call clinician, who they can consult when a member needs more than what's offered. In these cases, the coach transfers the member to a referral team that provides resources for finding an outside therapist or psychiatrist.

Dr. Vaile Wright, a psychologist and senior director of health care innovation for the American Psychological Association, says that high-quality mental health coaching could be exactly what some people need to move through lower-level challenges and ultimately thrive.

"It's a great place to start when you know you need some help, but you might not have an official diagnosis of, say, depression or anxiety," she says.

How mental health coaches get credentials

Jennifer Lundman, a licensed clinical social worker and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness coach, doesn't agree with the mental health coaching trends she sees on social media — specifically when they involve influencers with questionable credentials and aggressive sales pitches. And, instead of partnering with a client to help them understand what behavior changes work best for them, some coaches hawk exercise plans and supplements, which is not something certified professionals do.

Lundman believes that so-called coaching that's popular on TikTok and Instagram "does jeopardize this really, really important work that can be done to support people's health and wellness."

The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), where Lundman works as director of program approval and continuing education, is trying to professionalize the unregulated industry.

Since 2016, NBHWC has collaborated with the National Board of Medical Examiners, a nonprofit that provides assessment of many health professions, to provide a rigorous exam that aspiring health and wellness coaches can take to achieve board certification. More than 11,000 people have since received it since the first exam took place in 2017.

The exam was developed in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners, a nonprofit that assesses health professionals. Another professional organization, the International Federation of Coaching, also offers certification; Lyra Health requires that its coaches go through that program.

Passing the NBHWC exam requires learning about behavioral change, and how to facilitate it as a coach, as well as motivational strategies and basic health and wellness. Exam applicants must first complete a training program approved by NBHWC , which could be offered in an academic, private sector, or healthcare organization setting.

Headspace offers one of those approved programs. Its six-month certificate course, which costs $5,995, awards successful participants with a certificate in mental health coaching, after they complete 20 weekly live and synchronous education and training sessions, among other requirements. Most of Headspace's staff coaches have completed this program, and it can be used outside of the company.

Dr. Jenna Glover, chief clinical officer of Headspace, says the company's coaching style incorporates motivational interviewing. The technique, which licensed mental health professionals may also use, is a cornerstone of behavior change. It's meant to help people identify both stubborn challenges to their well-being and the skills they need to overcome those roadblocks.

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In coaching, however, there is no deep discussion about the family dynamics or relationship troubles that may have contributed to unhealthy habits. Importantly, for Headspace coaches, Glover says there is also an awareness that members face immovable or unchangeable obstacles that interfere with their well-being, like experiencing racism at work, needing to work multiple jobs, or living with student debt.

Headspace coaches, according to Glover, are trained to validate such stressors and guide members toward factors within their control, like putting their phone away well before bedtime to get better rest, or spending higher quality time with their child when they're not at work.

"A coach can really help guide [a client] and say, 'What are you able to work on right now?'" Glover notes.

What else to know about mental health coaching

Understanding whether mental health coaching improves people's well-being, compared to therapy, for example, will take a lot more research, says Vaile. Currently, there's little robust research indicating that it leads to desired behavior change and mental health improvement.

Wright says there are advantages to working with mental health coaches employed by a well-known digital health company, such as Headspace or Lyra. Coaches are typically trained, if not certified. They also receive supervision and feedback on their performance. The platforms themselves can provide referrals for therapy to members who might need them. Should a coach act inappropriately, their client can report it to the company.

Consumers should be aware, however, of how companies use their personal data, including for marketing or research purposes, Wright says.

She adds that companies should make clear whether artificial intelligence is part of their coaching product. Wright says that while AI may be able to improve coaching experiences, perhaps by matching clients and coaches or identifying trends in a client's performance, it needs to be incorporated ethically and responsibly. Currently, Headspace doesn't use AI in its direct-to-customer coaching program.

Though Wright practices healthy skepticism about new digital mental health products, she is optimistic about the potential of high-quality coaching to make an important difference in people's lives.

"We clearly have an extensive mental health crisis in this country, and we need to be thinking about how we can get people the support that they need in innovative and responsible ways," Wright says. "I do think that certified health and wellness coaches can be part of that solution."

Topics Mental Health Social Good

Rebecca Ruiz is a Senior Reporter at Mashable. She frequently covers mental health, digital culture, and technology. Her areas of expertise include suicide prevention, screen use and mental health, parenting, youth well-being, and meditation and mindfulness. Prior to Mashable, Rebecca was a staff writer, reporter, and editor at NBC News Digital, special reports project director at The American Prospect, and staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master's in Journalism from U.C. Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, watching movie trailers, traveling to places where she can't get cell service, and hiking with her border collie.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story’ on Lifetime, a Solid Interpretation of an Unsettling True Crime Story

• Based On A True Story

‘Hit Man’ True Story: What to Know About the Real Gary Johnson Who Inspired Glen Powell’s Movie

Richard linklater talks ‘hit man’ and directing glen powell, adria arjona through the sex scenes: “let’s pull this off in a realistic yet hot way”, stream it or skip it: ‘clipped’ on fx/hulu, a drama about the l.a. clippers and the woman who exposed donald sterling’s racism, stream it or skip it: ‘the promised land’ on hulu, in which mads mikkelsen and his big ass potatoes carry a gripping historical drama.

Executive produced by kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, this biographical crime drama is based on the shocking true story of Tanya Kach. Lifetime’s The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story depicts how the vulnerable titular teen was preyed upon and then held captive by a much older man, and how she survived a decade of captivity, brainwashing, and abuse.

THE GIRL LOCKED UPSTAIRS: THE TANYA KACH STORY : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story revolves 14-year-old Tanya Kach (Jordyn Ashley Olson) and the warped, abusive relationship she develops with her school’s 30+ year-old security guard Tom Hose (Robert Baker). Living with disconnected foster parents and unable to even get in touch with her birth mom (Jessie Fraser), Tanya arrives at her new school desperate for support and connection. But when her attempts to make friends or take refuge from her isolating home life are constantly rebuffed, Tom is the only person left for Tanya to turn to for companionship and stability.

Promising her safety and love, Tom grooms Tanya into coming to him at her lowest, luring her to his home (where he still lives with his parents) and convincing her to stay locked in his room whenever he’s not there, for her own good. He tells her to stop going to school and holds her captive in his home, threatening to take both her life and his own if she dares to leave him. Tom further manipulates Tanya by convincing her that everyone, including her mom, has given up looking for her and moved on, and that he is the only person in the world who cares about her.

Over the 10 years of her captivity, Tom routinely sexually abuses Tanya while also infantilizing and talking down to her. He attempts to hide her from his parents downstairs until she is of age, which means keeping her in his room and sometimes his small closet in order to avoid detection, forcing her to wait until he’s around and willing to help for her to use the toilet or bathe. As the years go by and Tanya gains brief moments of access to the outside world, she interacts with kind locals like shop owner Tony (Dalias Blake) and his wife Ange (Shiraine Haas), who help her see that there is good, community, and joy in the world outside of Tom’s grasp.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: It’s reminiscent of other Lifetime crime dramas based on real-life kidnapping and abuse stories like Cleveland Abduction and Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story .

Performance Worth Watching: Jordyn Ashley Olson is given some really unsettling and sensitive material to work with, and she manages to really succeed in playing Tanya. Olson imbues the role with a layered and believable vulnerability that gets you invested in Tanya’s story and rooting for her ultimate happiness.

Memorable Dialogue: Early on, when Tanya opens up to Tom about her troubled home life and past sexual abuse, she says “I just want someone to care.” It just sums up her whole headspace for the duration of the film in a heartbreaking way, as Tom continues to keep her under his thumb by using Tanya’s own loneliness, innocence, and wish for human connection against her.

Sex and Skin: There are several moments of implied intercourse, beginning with Tom mentioning taking Tanya’s virginity and then later getting multiple moments where the bed is creaking before we see Tom leaving the bed. In every scenario, everyone’s clothes stay on and you don’t see anything really graphic beyond kissing, although the suggestion of sexual activity and abuse with a minor is still pretty unsettling even without any overt sex and skin.

Our Take: Even with Lifetime steering clear of depicting intense violence, explicit sexual content, or excessively strong language, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is still a pretty unsettling movie. That’s partly because you know a lot of this happened in some form in real life, but also because the implication of what went down is sometimes even scarier than just showing it as we’re all left to our own imaginations about the horrors a man like Tom might be capable of.

Tom is inherently unlikable and awful, which the movie does a great job of conveying from the get-go, but even knowing that, his moments of grooming, affection, and violence can be hard to watch. Even so, Robert Baker does fairly well committing to the role in all its evils, while Jordyn Ashley Olson definitely stands out portraying the nuanced struggles and yearnings of Tanya.

My one big gripe with the movie was perhaps the pacing, which felt uneven as Tanya was rushed through starting a new school, being picked on and even physically accosted by classmates, and getting kissed by To all within the first 10 minutes. However, once everything is set up, we settle into the monotonous and repetitive (so much so that some shots seem to be recycled at times but it seems to be intentional) life of Tanya’s captivity over the next 10 years. Overall, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is a compelling watch with an uplifting ending that celebrates survivors of abuse and the good samaritans that help them succeed and smile again.

Our Call: STREAM IT! While the dark and upsetting nature of this movie means that it’s not for everyone, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is ultimately a solid drama that reminds us that abuse can look like many things, and that survivors’ stories need to be told.

Stream  T he Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story  on Lifetime

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‘lake george’ review: shea whigham and carrie coon in a conventional neo-noir with a few welcome twists.

The latest feature from veteran writer-director Jeffrey Reiner (Hulu’s 'High Fidelity'), which premiered at Tribeca, co-stars Max Casella and Glenn Fleshler.

By Jordan Mintzer

Jordan Mintzer

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A nifty little neo-noir carried by two likeable leads, Lake George follows a pair of down-and-out, middle-aged criminals who try to rip off a rich gangster and somehow get away with it.

Lake George

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There’s nothing new about that set-up, which is hammered out in the first 10 minutes or so. The rest of Lake George is all about how that initial plot unravels, and keeps unraveling until the very end.

This is because Don is not your typical outlaw, but rather a meek, world-weary claims adjuster who served a long prison sentence for helping Armen pull off a slew of insurance frauds. Over-the-hill, with a bad arm and paralyzed by panic attacks, he’s not exactly the right candidate to carry out a murder. And so it’s no surprise that instead of shooting Phyllis point blank as he was supposed to, he’s duped into teaming up with her to steal from Armen and start a new life.

Reiner’s script recalls Double Indemnity , Out of the Past and other classics of the genre where a semi-good guy crosses paths with a femme fatale and lots of bad stuff ensues. But the director doesn’t follow that formula completely, focusing on a couple of grifters who are already past their prime and just looking for a little peace and quiet. This is especially the case with Don, a broken man estranged from his own family and left with nothing but a small cabin (located beside the film’s titular lake) where he hopes to settle down and be forgotten.

Lake George rolls smoothly, if a bit slowly, along as a two-handed road movie marked by a few strong set-pieces — notably one that takes place inside Armen’s stash house and involves a hidden safe filled with gold bars, a gruesome killing and not one but several amputated fingers.

Reiner, whose credits include such TV shows as High Fidelity , Shameless and Fargo , doesn’t shy away from the gore, and like the Coen brothers he blends it with a brand of deadpan humor that underscores some of the violence. Another standout scene has Don and Phyllis trying to rob a second stash house, only to find themselves witnessing an excruciating sex scene that keeps getting interrupted by a yapping dog.

In the end, all of their shenanigans amount to the theft of something like $200,000, which shows how low the stakes here really are. But that’s also what makes Lake George quite endearing, despite its overall familiarity and 90s-ish vibe (think True Romance but with a pair of tired, old and fairly incompetent thieves). With little to gain and nothing to lose, the best Don and Phyllis may ultimately have is each other.

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Rotten tomatoes critics say horror movie ‘the watchers’ is horrible.

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A partial poster image of "The Watchers."

The new horror movie The Watchers from M. Night Shyamalan's daughter is something Rotten Tomatoes critics regret watching.

New in theaters Friday, The Watchers is written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan—the daughter of the Split and The Sixth Sense filmmaker who was an assistant director on her dad’s horror thriller Old .

In addition, Ishana Night Shyamalan directed six episodes of the AppleTV+ mystery thriller series Servant , starring Nell Tiger Free ( The First Omen ).

M. Night Shyamalan produced The Watchers , which stars Dakota Fanning in the lead role of Mina.

The official logline for The Watchers reads, “The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. You can’t see them, but they see everything.”

Rotten Tomatoes critics gave more than one black eye to The Watchers , collectively assigning the horror movie a 31% “rotten” rating based on 77 reviews as of this publication. Since the film is new in theaters, an Audience Score based on verified user ratings hasn’t been posted on RT yet.

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, what are critics saying about ‘the watchers’.

Among the top critics on Rotten Tomatoes , there hasn’t been a lot of patience for Ishana Night Shyamalan in her filmmaking debut with The Watchers .

While Owen Gleiberman of Variety calls Shyamalan’s direction “mostly fine,” he knocks her screenwriting. Summing up the film, Gleiberman writes that The Watchers “wants to be a kind of fairy tale. In this case, though, there’s too much impeccable pretension and not enough things that go bump in the Shyamalan night.”

Gleiberman’s trade publication counterpart, David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter , also criticized The Watcher , writing, “The Watchers, sadly, is less disturbing than dull, less harrowing than hackneyed.”

There was some praise among RT critics for The Watchers, even if the compliments were backhanded—like this section from Peter Howell’s review in the Toronto Star .

“What I will say is that the movie can be appreciated even if we expect the rug will be pulled from under us,” Howell writes. “The appreciation is more for the film’s sinister look and mood than its story, which can be charitably described as an interesting mess.”

While the Shyamalan and her father will no doubt feel deflated by the reviews of her rookie feature film directorial effort, they shouldn’t fret too much about it affecting the film’s box office.

Released in May, the horror movie Tarot was derided by RT critics. Defying its nasty reviews, Tarot has earned $42.1 million at the worldwide box office to date. Considering the movie had an $8 million production budget before prints and advertising, Tarot may end up being among if not the most profitable film of the summer movie season.

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