Available now on digital as well as On Demand is the coming of age teen drama, The Midway Point.
The film stars Sean Ryan Fox, Catharine Daddario, Wes Studi and Thora Birch.
Written and directed by filmmaker Lucca Vieira, he drew directly from his own diagnosis on the autism spectrum when creating this film. This drama has a bit of a twist to it compared to other Hollywood coming-of-age stories that delivers something genuinely authentic.
Jake (Sean Ryan Fox) is a 17 year old teen who is on the autism spectrum. He appears to be depressed, lonely and unable to make friends. On top of that he’s not doing very well at school Jake lives with his mom (played by Thora Birch).
At this time in his life Jake should be hanging out with friends, going to parties, engaging on social media and dating. Face-to-face interaction is simply not easy for Jake.
One day Jake meets a classmate named Alice (Catharine Daddario). She is the complete opposite of Jake. She’s very much into the typical “teen scene,” constantly sharing her life on social media, attending parties, has a sharp tongue and a bad temper. For some reason Alice is attracted to Jake.
Their friendship starts off very uneasy. Alice forces Jake to step outside his comfort zone and Jake is not ready for that. Over time Jake gradually gets used to how Alice is and even starts to experience some typical teenage things.
Can Jake overall all his insecurities and learn to live the “normal” teenage life he craves, or will his relationship with Alice end up having the opposite effect? To find out, check out the film The Midway Point. Look for it wherever you rent or purchase movies on digital or On Demand.
The Midway Point gives viewers an inside look into teenage mental health, isolation and neurodivergent relationships. At points during the film things get a bit “raw,” meaning heavy with emotions and forcing viewers to dive deep into Jake’s world.
I have seen plenty of television shows, movies and the like that touch upon children on the autism spectrum, but never have I seen anything that shows what life is like as such a child gets older and becomes a teenager and young adult. If anything I think things become harder for teens because they are faced with more complex situations and emotions. I appreciate that this movie gave viewers an inside look into this world.
The acting in this film is amazing. Sean Ryan Fox did an outstanding job portraying Jake. He came across as incredibly authentic. He is very believable as Jake. It’s hard to believe he was just acting. To be honest, I was very impressed by his portrayal.
Catharine Daddario seemed like a bit of an odd choice for me, initially. She just looked a bit too “wild” for Jake, but that is part of the storyline. She doesn’t look like someone that would befriend and engage in a relationship with someone like Jake.
Thora Birch didn’t have much screen time. It’s hard to believe that she’s all grown up now. She’s not the same little girl from Hocus Pocus anymore. She was 11 in Hocus Pocus and now she’s 44. That’s crazy.
As far as the cinematography the film is shot in such a way that it often adds to the “gloominess” of Jake’s world. There are no lush landscapes and sweeping mountain shots in this film. It’s shot in a more realistic setting (an average town with an average high school).
I think more film makers should explore autism. There are films about lonely people and people with mental health issues, but you rarely see any characters on television or movies who are on the spectrum. I think they should represent all kinds of people, after all, the world is not full of “perfect people.” Some people are “perfectly imperfect” too.
You can learn more about this film at it’s official website, TheMidwayPointMovie.com. It’s raw. It’s deep. It’s totally worth watching.
You can also follow the film on Instagram.
Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
*I received a free screener in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
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