Jagged Mind (2023)

Jagged Mind (2023)

An Endless Date!

The warning at the beginning says: Domestic violence that may be disturbing to some viewers! I decided to watch it anyway…

It took me just three minutes to realise that I wasn’t going to like this film. And twelve to realise that it was going to be very long. As soon as I got caught up in this downward spiral, I couldn’t wait for it to end.

In fact, you get caught up in a kind of time loop pretty quickly, which I’m not a fan of! I hoped that the whole film wouldn’t be like that. I was desperately waiting for a plot twist that wasn’t too ridiculous.
Surprisingly, after twenty minutes, the film becomes really interesting. So… was I wrong? Another false preconception? No, because the battle wasn’t won yet.

The story is very twisted and it’s difficult to stay hooked the whole time. A film directed by a woman, written by another woman and about a world of women. I have nothing against it, but you always risk coming across as a sexist macho when you criticise this kind of work. You’re not allowed to have an opinion these days! And yet, Jagged Mind is indeed a blot on cinema.

The two lead actresses, Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Shannon Woodward, are impeccable. At least at the beginning. The film eventually becomes tiresome. The ending is ridiculous and, what’s more, it is riddled with inconsistencies, as if the viewer wouldn’t notice. Naive viewers will think it’s a stroke of genius and will probably put themselves down, thinking they’re not smart enough. Big, big mistake!

I wanted to see The Quiet (2005) with Shannon Woodward, actually. But I don’t think she shines much in it, because it’s mainly Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle who steal the show, from what I understand.

Ah… I just found my review! Apparently… yes, I’ve already seen this film… and I hated it too! Go figure! It won’t be tomorrow that I start following Shannon Woodward‘s filmography, since this was the only other film of hers that interested me. It’s a shame to make such poor choices when you seem to have a certain charisma and talent!

Jagged Mind falls flat. It has a nice comeback along the way, but ultimately falls flat. Its good moments cancel each other out. It still can’t hold a candle to a film like J.F. Would Share Flat (1992), whose unlikely sequel, or rather second instalment, was actually good!

An interesting premise, but as soon as the story unfolds a little, it all falls apart. In the last twenty minutes, it really feels like a B movie! The strangest thing is seeing Kelley Kali insist on mystery, when Allyson Morgan‘s script is predictable. Unfortunately, this film (using Alzheimer’s, dementia and blackouts as a backdrop) quickly takes a turn worthy of a repetitive and boring television film. They tried to do something different, but it’s very poorly executed. A jumble of flashbacks for less than an hour and a half leading to an unimaginative and, therefore, unsurprising ending.

It’s neither interesting nor well done, to say the least. It was made on a shoestring budget, but doesn’t look like it. And the narration is chaotic to boot.

Don’t waste your time: you’ve got better things to do!