Abhiram Gunda 16 - The Father Movie Review

    It’s been a while since I made a movie review style blog but recently I saw a surreal and brilliantly made movie called The Father that fits perfectly with our unit's theme of memory. I do want to put out the warning that the movie covers topics like dementia so if you're not comfortable reading about such topics then don’t read the rest of the blog. 

The movie “The Father” is made from the perspective of a person with dementia. The movie explores the confusion and disorientation someone with dementia must feel. Another tv show that explored this is the show “Grey’s Anatomy” in which the main character’s mother suffers from dementia. In one episode, the main character’s mother regains memory and tries interacting with the world that has changed so much since her dementia worsened. 

The movie The Father takes a different approach from Grey’s Anatomy because the story is from the perspective of Anthony, a patient with dementia who refuses to believe that he has any sort of mental condition. Throughout the story we miss context for situations, see Anthony meet people he doesn’t know, and even eventually argue with people who he does not know but claim to know him. One of the most heartbreaking scenes in the movie was when Anthony’s daughter broke down after Anthony did not recognize her. 

One thing that the movie portrays perfectly in my opinion is the slow decline in mental acuity. It made me realize just how fragile we are as human beings. One day we could be sharp, getting 5’s on AP tests and playing chess, the next we could be walking around our house looking for something that may not exist.






Comments

  1. yashujMay 21, 2025 at 8:33 PM

    Hey Abhiram! I enjoyed reading this movie review that you made. I have never considered the perspective of someone with dementia, and you are spot on that this relates to our theme of memory. For me, the regular things that you mentioned such as meeting people and interacting with them are almost second nature, but after reading your blog I have realized how this is much different for those who suffer with psychological disorders such as dementia. As someone taking AP Psychology right now, I have a personal relation to this topic because we are currently learning about psychological disorders. I have always been curious about the way that the lives of these individuals is different, and this this blog helped me put this into perspective. I really enjoyed reading your blog of this week, Abhiram!

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