Out today on DVD and digital is director Aaron Warren ‘s mystery/thriller TODD.
TODD takes you deep down in the darkest mind of infinite despair. Aaron Jackson, who plays Todd, gives a candid depiction of how real mental illness is when it comes to not being able to deal with the loss of loved ones.
If a cry for help goes unnoticed, it can take toll on the mind and become at war with everyday survival. The complexity of this story layers that burden of loss on a man with no one to turn to. The name Todd stood out to me because it encompasses the word odd, which is the essence of how he feels.
Isolation is the companionship that has haunted Todd all his life. As he grieves over the loss of his parents, his lonely monster gets more extreme. When Todd feels the urgency of his needs are not being met, his grasp of hope starts to unravel severely. The more he reaches out for a sound mind, the more intense his loss of sanity becomes. The more he reaches out for help, the more it makes him revert to his initial struggles.
The saying that describes how “hurt people hurt people” spirals into a cycle of toxic energy induced by a society he does not feel he fits in. His therapist seems to be the one thing that he is counting on to dig him out of anguish, but even that comes with a prescription of perplexity that no pill is potent enough to rectify. As they feed off each other’s personal afflictions an unhealthy doctor patient relationship breaks down to vindictive deeds. When medication no longer numbs Todd’s moods, his deep fear of loneliness forms into seething revenge.
TODD emanates an old school campy approach to a modern-day thriller. It’s mid-tempo pace gave each character a solid foundation, making their revelations connect to the symptoms of this psychological storyline.
It was such a pleasure to see Michael Winslow (actor, comedian, beatboxer, and sound effects master) play the trusty bartender. His role represented how even a prominent therapist may need emotional support.
The score and the small ensemble reminded me of a vintage, indie-horror film. It was also very revealing how each character had their own issues to sort through in contrast to the main narrative. At some point all the characters met with their own personal fears.
Although the film wasn’t blood-curdling-terrifying, it was the scary notion of what can happen upon someone’s breaking point.
I rate TODD 4 out of 5 on the MMTrometer.
TODD is available now on DVD from Amazon, Walmart, FYE, TCM Shop, Deep Discount, Oldies.com, Import CDs, Vintage Vinyl, and more. You can also stream on Amazon Prime, Vimeo, iTunes, Tubi, Roku, and MX Player on digital.
Samantha Hollins, aka Ghetto SongBird, is a multi-talented Rock singer/songwriter, guitarist, poet/writer, photographer and all around creative soul who passionately enjoys sharing her positive artistic energy and harmonic vibes. You can follow her group The Culture Rock Griot on Facebook and get additional information at her site Theculturerockgriot.com.
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