“Brian”

“Brian” is a kind of awkward, slightly messy coming-of-age story that tries to capture what it really feels like to grow up when you’re the kid who never quite fits in. Director Will Ropp‘s movie centers on Brian (Ben Wang), a smart and funny teenager who has a lot going for him, at least on paper. Unfortunately, his mental health struggles make it hard for people to see that side of him. Instead, Brian is mostly known for his public meltdowns and his knack for making already uncomfortable situations even worse.

Things don’t exactly get easier for him at school either. Brian has a crush on the smart and kind Brooke (Natalie Morales), who is perfect in his eyes (and way out of his league)…mostly because she’s also his teacher. That awkward dynamic sets the tone for the rest of the movie, which leans heavily into cringe humor and painfully relatable teenage moments.

After bombing a drama club audition in spectacular fashion, Brian decides he needs to find something that will help him stand out for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones. This leads him to the wildly questionable idea of running for class president. It’s probably the worst possible choice for someone who already struggles with anxiety and public embarrassment, which of course is exactly why the movie goes there.

With some encouragement from his therapist and help from new kid at school Justin (Joshua Colley), Brian throws himself into the campaign. What follows is a series of awkward speeches, social disasters, and small personal victories as he slowly starts figuring out who he actually is. The movie frames his journey less as a typical turning his popularity around story and more as a process of learning how to live with the parts of yourself that feel overwhelming.

The film clearly wants to say something about mental health and self-acceptance, especially the idea that being “too much” isn’t necessarily a flaw, but something you learn to manage as you grow up. The film does capture that uncomfortable phase of adolescence where you’re trying as hard as you can and still feel like you’re failing in front of everyone, but it’s hit or miss overall.

While the premise is relatable and some of the characters are likable enough, the story itself never really becomes all that memorable. It hits a lot of familiar coming-of-age beats with a slightly different twist, but I was also left feeling like I’ve seen similar versions of this story before. It’s far too stagey too, and that simply didn’t resonate with me.

One fun element though is the number of cameo appearances scattered throughout the movie. They add some extra personality to the film and help keep things entertaining even when the main story starts to feel a bit predictable.

I suppose “Brian” is a decent but mostly forgettable coming-of-age movie. It has a relatable central character, a few genuinely funny and awkward moments, and a message about self-acceptance that’s easy to appreciate. It’s not particularly memorable, but is a fairly watchable look at the messy process of growing up.

By: Louisa Moore