Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Sunny Side Up’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Sunny Side Up’.
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One unfortunate fact about everyday life, is that despite our best efforts to fill our days with peace and harmony; the universe will find a way to inject chaos into our lives. Which might sound like a cynical statement, one that should motivate a person to simply give up when it comes to finding peace and harmony, but that’s simply not the case. Because despite the harsh nature that accompanies that particular statement, chaos doesn’t last forever and if we take the time to observe those wild moments in an objective and rational manner, either during the chaotic event or after… we can in fact, learn something valuable about that moment and grow as a person because of it. But while a great many of us come to understand that as the years roll along and we gain more life experience, not everyone subscribes to that particular methodology in dealing with chaos.
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For unfortunately for some, the anxiety and the terror of a chaotic moment infects their mind and their soul. To the point where they are nervous often and terrified of more chaos entering their lives, and that can have an impact on that person’s quality of life and what’s truly surprising about this particularly unique aspect of everyday life; is that happens more often than we know. For there are a great many people out there who struggle with anxiety and worry over what chaos the world might send their way and we simply don’t talk about this problem enough. However, as time continues along, and our awareness surrounding mental health grows stronger, this is an issue that is starting to get its day in the sun and recently, this reviewer had the opportunity to watch a quality motion picture that covers this topic and a potential fix for it in Sunny Side Up.

Now in this particular film we are introduced to a man named Gregory Samuel who appears to have his life together. After all, he’s got a full-time job working as a funeral director, and that affords him a decent place to live and allows him to follow his hobbies and interests. But there is one tiny little problem that follows Greg wherever he goes, in that, he suffers from severe anxiety and that motivates him to beat himself up mentally on a consistent basis and the paralyzing nature of his anxiety, is starting to impact his work as well. To the point where his boss asks him to take a month off in order to heal his ailing mind and psyche. And while this seems like a wonderful move on his boss’ part, since he can avoid people and his triggers for thirty-days, the unresolved root causes of his anxiety and his friendly and charming neighbor, a one Emma Poesy, are going to force Gregory to do something he has been unwilling to do for some time now. Which is... deal with his problems.

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So, the first real subject of note when it comes to this motion picture, is its powerful portrayal of high functioning anxiety. Because we are given a front row seat to Gregory’s affliction and it is just powerful and fascinating to have a voiceover present in this film that perfectly teaches the audience how Gregory and people akin to him, think when it comes to anxiety. In fact, it is handled in such a realistic and brutal manner that at times it makes the viewer quite uncomfortable and that is the point. Simply because this can be debilitating and torturous for those that deal with it, and by portraying it in a frank and honest manner… you are able to understand and sympathize with Gregory’s plight and that invests you in the story and his journey and it leaves you hopeful that he will eventually overcome this issue and lead a more peaceful life.
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Which brings us to the ‘solution’ aspect of the story, since it offers up a bevy of options to folks dealing with this. One of which, relates to the company we keep. Because sometimes we meet and befriend people that truly calm our souls and give us focus and direction and when that happens, we need to hang onto those folks at any cost, especially when they understand an issue like this and don’t shy away from it. Because having those kinds of people around is quite healthy for us and Emma definitely fits that mold in this story, and she is definitely a breath of fresh air in this tale, since she opens Gregory’s eyes to endless possibilities when it comes to enjoying a future free from anxiety. But truly, the most impactful lesson in this film, relates to the fact that in order to enact change in our lives, we actually have to want it.

Because sometimes, we are our own worst enemies, and our fears and our doubts truly do take hold since they are powerful emotions that feed off of our souls. But if we truly commit ourselves to change and really embrace the moment and ignore the ‘what if’, then we can accomplish wonders and find the peace and harmony that we so desperately seek, and that message makes this quite the uplifting film when all is said and done. One that also offers the viewer some quality performances as well since Hunter Davis (Gregory) and Samantha Creed (Emma) are electric on screen together, and their chemistry also allows for this heavy subject matter to have some perfectly timed moments of levity and really, in the end, this is a must-see movie. Simply because it really does tackle some fascinating topics in a wonderfully smooth and inclusive manner. But most important of all, this is a story that offers those who feel overwhelmed by the ills of the world, a touch of hope, and you can never go wrong with a movie that is eager to help and heal its faithful audience.

'Sunny Side Up' is available to watch now via Video On Demand. 

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