Written and directed by Daniel Glenn-Barbour, a young filmmaker is consumed by grief and betrayal after the death of his mother. He begins making a documentary on men’s mental health and hires Jordan, a struggling cameraman, to capture a single day of raw, unfiltered footage. Starring: Micah Tsekiri, Rico Bowlin, Callum Chiplin and Millie Rushworth.
When you’re crafting a drama, there’s one key element which can make or break your film, and even more so in the indie landscape, and that’s authenticity. If you can’t make your story, emotion and environment feel real, how is the audience going to invest in it? And authenticity is such a huge part of The Worth of Life. Especially because Daniel Glenn-Barbour employs an unfiltered, raw style, so it’s entirely reliant upon connecting with the audience, there’s no other frills to compensate, and Glenn-Barbour definitely rises to that challenge.
Undoubtedly part of that is the style and tone of The Worth of Life but a big reason why it connects strongly, and early, is down to the performance from Micah Tsekiri. His presence immediately has this blend of intensity, sensitivity and a warped focus. Tsekiri builds this buzzing energy, making Tyler feel like he can’t stop moving, it’s a mix of chaos, desperation and melancholy as he fights a losing battle with grief.
It’s a unique portrayal of such a profound mental health struggle, and it’s great to see it from a different angle, rather than a simple expression of depression and grief. Tyler channels all of that pain into this project, thinking it will finally allow him to do some good, and there’s a great deal of sadness which goes along with that. Tsekiri creates a great chemistry with Rico Bowlin as Jordan, they build a quick but strong friendship.
Another element of The Worth of Life’s authenticity is the way that the film flows, it hits such organic notes, it truly feels off the cuff and in the moment. The writing builds a great deal of personality and brings through a strong variety of characters. The topic itself is inherently worthy of exploration, and it’s refreshing to see Glenn-Barbour attempt to explore men’s mental health in a way which is inherently accessible.
Opening up the same conversations, but in a new way, leading to some interesting questions about morality and ethics, as well as how even bystanders can feel complicit in the pain of others when they’re unable to help. There’s also an interesting discussion to be had about the lengths of sympathy in times of grief and if or when boundaries need to be set.
The Worth of Life is authentic, original and engaging. Daniel Glenn-Barbour builds a nicely raw tone, without becoming harsh, there’s a tenderness and sensitivity to the writing. His directorial style, along with his cinematography, builds a captivatingly organic atmosphere, charged with emotion and conflict, impressively without ever becoming loud or confrontational, there’s a reflective quality to it.
There are some great London locations, moving around the city rather than sticking to the stereotypical sights. It’s an unusual way to explore mental health and it was a clever choice, to create something so accessible to open up a heavy conversation with a wider audience. It’s led by a terrific, moving and sympathetic performance from Micah Tsekiri, who’s very well supported by the rest of the cast, particularly Rico Bowlin and Millie Rushworth.
