I did not expect much going into it. It's been really hit or miss with rando documentaries I find on yotuube. Half the time they are bombass BBC docs, the other half they are crappy low budgets made in someone's basement.
This one turned out to be one of the better docs I've watched all year, for a variety of reasons. It's an interesting topic, (and something I can easily relate to) captivating characters I wanted to know more about, and a good mix of personal testimonies and scientific information.
The film follows a handful of individuals who suffer from social anxiety: a sweet 20-something year old guy who lives at home and can't even go to the grocery store without having a panic attack, a middle aged woman who is worried her anxiety is affecting her performance at work, a young girl in school, and a woman who actually studies social anxiety and also suffers from it. Each of these stories grabs my attention and, more importantly, wins me over. You see these people struggling and worrying over the simplest of activities, things we all do everyday, and you just want them to "get better". You want to seem them overcome their anxiety.
The woman who studies anxiety might be the most interesting story. At one point she actually has to give a speech to a room of people about the people who fear public speaking, and she's absolutely terrified to do it. After it's over she leaves the room and starts shaking and crying immediately. I can't figure out, and they never explain, why she'd put herself through all that. The very concept sounds like A Mr. Show sketch or something you'd see on SNL: the social anxious public speaker who talks about public speaking fears.
The young child suffers from selective mutism, which is something I've heard of before. Wikipedia defines it as "a person normally capable of speech who is unable to speak in certain situations". At home the girl is perfectly fine; she even seems outgoing. But at school she clams up, unable or unwilling to speak to teachers or other students.
The best part of the film is seeing them make progress. Each person, in their own way, finds a way to overcome their anxiety and get a little more comfortable in public. It's extremely satisfying to watch.
As someone who has dealt with mild social anxiety most of my life, I really appreciated this film. It gave me a better understanding of what causes it, and even more than that, showed me that I'm not the only one who knows what it's like.
You can watch it here:
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