Writer/director Addison Heimann brings an unflinching look at a mental breakdown using body horror, psychological horror, and some truly dark comedy to his latest feature, Hypochondriac. The result is an intense effort that serves up some mind-boggling imagery.
Will (Zach Villa) is a potter who has experienced enough trauma in his life to successfully help a coworker calm down from a panic attack. His mother (Marlene Forte) has mental health issues, including trying to kill Will when he was a child. The two have not spoken in 10 years but she is now trying to contact him at a rapid clip, causing his stress levels to rise and for him to experience physical pain including not being able to use his hands. His boyfriend Luke (Devon Graye) wants to help, but Will prefers to remain closed off and not discuss his past, including the situation with his mother. As Will’s conditions worsen, he becomes increasingly suspicious and paranoid, and begins seeing visions of a wolf — or perhaps a man in a wolf suit — shutting himself off from Luke and others while falling deeper into pain and despair.
Heimann drew on his own experiences for Hypochondriac, and the film has a raw intimacy that can come only from that kind of personal knowledge. It also boasts some frenetic cinematography and editing courtesy of Dustin Supencheck and Mike Hugo, respectively, that help events seem further and further off kilter. Villa’s performance is terrific, marvelously capturing the fury and frustrations of a person in fear of developing a mental illness after having witnessed first-hand how a relative with such issues tore her family and world apart.
Hypochondriac screened as part of SXSW, which took place March 11–20, 2022 in Austin, Texas.
XYZ Films will release Hypochondriac in theaters on July 29, 2022 and on Demand and Digital August 4, 2022.
