Words on Bathroom Walls

Adam Petrazelli is a witty, introspective high school senior whose dreams of attending culinary school are derailed by a sudden psychotic break. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, he is expelled and transferred to St. Agatha's Catholic School. Desperate to keep his condition a secret, Adam enrolls in a clinical trial for a new drug, ToZaPrex, hoping it will be the magic cure that allows him to be "normal."

At his new school, Adam meets Maya, the brilliant and outspoken valedictorian. As they bond over his cooking and her tutoring, Adam experiences a period of stability, believing the drugs are working. However, as the side effects threaten his ability to cook, he stops taking the medication, leading to a resurgence of his hallucinations—personified as a trio of characters and a menacing dark force. His struggle to maintain the facade of normalcy eventually collapses during a public breakdown at prom.

The film culminates in Adam accepting that there is no magical cure for his condition. Instead of hiding, he embraces his reality, delivering a courageous speech at graduation. He reconciles with his family and Maya, understanding that while his illness is a part of him, it does not define his entire existence.

The director and author aim to destigmatize schizophrenia by presenting it not as a horror trope or a criminal profile, but as a manageable, albeit difficult, human condition. The core message is that you are not your illness; mental health struggles do not preclude someone from finding love, success, or happiness. It challenges the societal obsession with "normalcy" and advocates for radical self-acceptance and the courage to let others see one's vulnerability.

While the film ends on a hopeful note, some critics interpret the ending not as a 'victory' over illness, but as a radical acceptance of chronic struggle. Adam isn't cured; he simply decides to stop hiding. Another reading focuses on the ToZaPrex trial as a critique of the pharmaceutical industry's treatment of patients as data points rather than humans. The 'voices' can also be interpreted less as symptoms and more as defense mechanisms: The Bodyguard appears when Adam feels threatened, and Joaquin appears when he feels sexually insecure, suggesting the illness is an amplification of normal teen anxieties.

Words on Bathroom Walls was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited its box office run but found it a dedicated audience on streaming platforms. Culturally, it was praised for being one of the few teen films to address schizophrenia specifically rather than generic 'mental illness' or depression. Critics lauded it for humanizing the condition, comparing it favorably to A Beautiful Mind but for a Gen Z audience. It sparked conversations about the stigma of medication and the unfair burden placed on teenagers to appear 'normal.' While some criticized the Hollywood ending, many mental health advocates appreciated the depiction of a support system that included not just doctors, but family, friends, and faith figures.

The film received a high CinemaScore of A, indicating strong audience approval. Viewers frequently praised the chemistry between Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell and the film's ability to make them cry. The empathetic portrayal of the stepfather, Paul, was also a highlight for many. Criticisms mostly focused on the visual effects (some found the CGI smoke cheesy) and the formulaic 'rom-com' beats that some felt trivialized the severity of the illness. However, the consensus was that it handled a heavy subject with grace and necessary humor.