‘All The Bright Places’ shines a light on mental illness like never before

Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix’s new release, “All The Bright Places,” an adaption of Jennifer Niven’s novel, attempts to tackle the mental illness and teenage struggles addressed by the original novel with accuracy and depth. Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) and Theodore Finch (Justice Smith) meet on a ledge, both literally and figuratively. Both on the brink of desperation, they meet standing on a bridge. Violet lost her sister in a car accident months prior and doesn’t know how to move on, while Theodore, or “Finch,” has been struggling with the wretched deal that was dealt to him.

The two characters find each other at just the right time. Thrown together for a school project, Finch is able to teach Violet how to move forward while wandering through the great “wonders of Indiana.” These two lost souls help each other find happiness amidst their broken worlds. 

While it is not clearly stated, it is apparent that Finch suffers from mental illness throughout the film. He attempts to explain his thought process multiple times to many different people, but no one is ever able to fully understand. He mentions many times that he struggles to stay “awake,” in the sense that he cannot always control of his thoughts and actions. He takes moments, sometimes days, to regain himself and remind himself that he is in control. In these moments, he moves all of his necessary belongings into his closet to create a sense of sanctuary and control. Nobody, not even himself, is able to completely comprehend all that is happening inside his head. This a very distant yet accurate way for Niven to approach mental illness.

Netflix was able to create an interesting, relatable film from this concept. However, it pales in comparison to Niven’s book. Many of the necessary aspects that help the story make sense are left out. Viewers who did not read the book may not grasp the full complexity of what Niven is attempting to convey. It is obvious that Finch has a mental illness, but in the book, readers will understand his exact thought process and why he acts the way he does, even if Finch isn’t able to understand it himself.

In this movie, the results and actions make it clear what is happening. However, the mental complexity is lost and could have been made more evident through narration or flashbacks. A lot of major points have been lost that help the story make sense: Niven created a puzzle, and in the film some pieces were lost.

Overall, the themes and ideas are still evident and strong in the movie adaptation, but many essential elements are lost. Niven wrote an incredible, mind opening book that the film was just unable to emulate – “All The Bright Places” is an interesting, complex concept and story that was ultimately lost on the screen.