[Movie Review] JAGGED MIND - Nightmarish Conjurings

One of the things that people don’t tell you about toxic relationships is the impact on the mind and body. Memories become distorted. The stress starts breaking you down mentally and physically. Trying to get out of the relationship can be the tipping point into greater pain, but staying can be more harmful in the long run. In JAGGED MIND, we see how forced prolonging of a toxic relationship can wear a person down, and the painstaking process of trying to get out before it’s too late.

Directed by Kelley Kali, JAGGED MIND follows Billie (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), a queer woman caught initially in a no-strings-attached relationship. She suffers from memory blackouts that are likely to have a genetic cause. They impact her ability to process the passage of time, which sets the stage for naturally doubting Billie and her perception of events.

Ever since meeting Alex (Shannon Woodward) by chance in a bar, her blackouts seemingly increase. Billie gets flashes of events she can’t recall. They are brutal and intense. Mysterious cuts are showing up on her skin, and mysterious disappearances and long-standing friendships begin to crumble over things she doesn’t remember.

As the relationship with Alex progresses, Billie starts to realize that not everything is as it seems with her partner. As Alex’s façade starts to crack, it’s a race against time and Billie’s own deteriorating mind to stop the cycle. What she doesn’t understand is Alex is one step ahead at all times and will do anything to keep them together – for better or worse.

A vicious cycle

While more erotic thriller than horror, JAGGED MIND highlights how inescapable toxic relationships can be. Doubting your own memories is common. When coupled with a partner that will do anything to keep you by their side while disregarding or dismissing the visible harm that they are doing to you, JAGGED MIND will feel eerily familiar to some thanks to Allyson Morgan’s script.

The isolating nature of these relationships is also highlighted onscreen. Those who recognize the signs try to intervene but are cut off – literally and figuratively. This forces Billie into a position of complete vulnerability and reliance, increasing the likelihood that she can never escape. In execution, it is a painful but necessary thing to witness.

Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Billie plays the unreliable narrator well. Coupled with close-up shots by Rasa Partin’s lens, we are right there with her in her blackouts. Oscillating between confusion and smiles, her desperation to figure out what’s going on to her feels natural.

Woodward has a more difficult task here due to the nature of Alex. Through nuances in both script and screenplay, she navigates the emotional complexities of the character without making her an all-out villain. By the film’s end, there will be many complicated emotions directed toward Alex.

The universality of JAGGED MIND

The beauty of JAGGED MIND is that it is a story that is universal. While it highlights a much-needed example of queer intimate partner violence, you don’t need to be queer to see yourself in the situation onscreen. The situation between Alex and Billie, although tinged heavily with supernatural elements to elevate the story into the horror realm, is one that has been played out before.

If you strip away the supernatural, JAGGED MIND can easily stand on its own two legs. The more extraordinary elements are dressing, there to enhance the plot but not necessarily required. At its core, this film is about toxic relationships, and doing whatever you can to break the loop. While the film’s ending will have you question if the cycle is truly broken, one thing is for sure. This film hits home and, as an example of IPV, will leave many feeling seen.

JAGGED MIND will have its World Premiere at the American Black Film Festival (abff.com) in Miami Beach, June 14 through June 18. The film will debut exclusively on Hulu on June 15 and Disney+ internationally at a later date.

Author
Recent Posts

Follow Me

Sarah Musnicky

Editor-in-Chief/Co-Owner at Nightmarish Conjurings

Sarah is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Owner of Nightmarish Conjurings. Most may know her due to her desire to literally hug anything that could kill her, but also making sure that everyone is squared away and sanity is intact.

Follow Me

Latest posts by Sarah Musnicky (see all)