Movie Review - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Movie: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Director: Stephen Chbosky (also the author of the novel)

Genre: Coming-of-age, Drama

Release Date: 2012

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a mental therapy through mental torture. Sometimes you have to go through some pain to find a little bit of peace in your heart. This movie tells us a story of that kind.

Charlie, the main character of the story, starts the tale while writing in a diary. On the screen, we might feel like we are the diary he’s talking to, in other words, trauma dumping. The traumas go deeper into his childhood as the tale advances. Charlie makes some seniors his friends in high school, this is a very important turning point of both his and friends’ lives. They explore love, the anomalies of teenagehood, gender and of course their good old friend, mental trauma. 

When Charlie finds a similar character like him, Sam, his life changes, even though their paths don’t cross until then end. Yes, there are more notable characters in the film who also portray different aspects of adolescence. But the main story that it tells is that we belong somewhere. We love, we laugh, we cry, we enjoy, we celebrate, we experience every single atom of life. For Charlie and his friends, it was music, books, theatre, friendship and a long drive through a tunnel when they felt Infinite.

It won’t be justice to the storyteller if we judge this movie merely as a love story of some teenagers. It's a healing movie, it teaches you that, sometimes, to let go of the traumas, we need to find someone who we can share it with. And to end, not to settle for less, because we accept the love we think we deserve.