When I sat down with BLUE MY MIND in front of me, I literally knew only one thing about it: it’s a movie about transformation. That’s it. My horror mind automatically goes to werewolf or zombie, so needless to say I wasn’t sure what to expect. This review will be spoiler free (as much as I really want to talk about it) but that will not take away at all from the praise I have for this film.
BLUE MY MIND hails from Switzerland. This 2017 full length, subtitled feature was written and directed by Lisa Bruhlmann. It follows Mia (Luna Welder), a 15-year-old girl who is starting a new school mid-year. She sees Gianna (Zoe Pastelle Holthuizen) and her “tough” overly sexualized friends. Mia hasn’t even started her period, but she wants to be in with the group and acts tough to earn her way in.
After Mia starts her period, she notices some changes beginning. She’s becoming more aggressive and snatching her mother’s live goldfish out of the tank and eating them whole. What is happening to her? Without going into the changes that are happening, we can talk about what she is going through. This movie does an amazing job at making outrageous changes that this poor girl is going through as completely relatable. She is scared and alone and acting out because she doesn’t understand why this is happening to her.
I think most of us can remember puberty and feeling like our bodies were foreign and out of control. The fear and isolation were real. It doesn’t hurt that Welder is an amazing actress. Moreover, this movie is gorgeous. The shots are quiet and artistic without trying too hard. I have two favorite scenes from this movie. One I can’t mention without giving the movie away, but one is of Mia sitting on a kitchen table. It’s dark save for a warm golden light that partially illuminates her. She is sitting with her legs drawn up and her long strawberry-blonde hair blowing as her head hangs down. It is so simply beautiful and there are so many shots like it in the film.
Not only do we see Mia’s transformation, but Gianna, herself, goes through her own. She starts as a young girl who has grown too fast and ends as a 15-year-old girl who finds her innocence again. Overall, BLUE MY MIND has easily made one of my top ten…ever. It was a relatable coming of age story with a twist. It was heartbreaking and hopeful and I can’t praise it enough.
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