The director of a new faith-adjacent movie about teen mental health and suicide says his film provides the hope that the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why lacked and that it doesn’t glamorize the subject, either.
The new film, What Rhymes with Reason (PG-13), will be in theaters for one night only on Oct. 10 and can be hosted by schools, churches, or groups through Oct. 24. It follows the story of a teenage boy who embarks on a journey with friends after his parents are tragically killed. Together, they face the adventure while confronting their own emotional scars.
“I was a Young Life leader for eight years, and we were just seeing a rise in anxiety and depression, thoughts of suicide, and some of their friends taking their life,” director Kyle William Roberts told Christian Headlines. “And experiencing that with them and going through that with them was heartbreaking.”
The film, which is being released on World Mental Health Day, is different from more controversial content such as 13 Reasons Why, Roberts said.
“There’s literally no hope in those shows,” Roberts said, referencing not only 13 Reasons Why but other suicide-themed projects. “And that’s the danger of them. And most counselors would not recommend that show because it can be dangerous.”
What Rhymes with Reason, the director added, provides hope and also does not glamorize teen suicide. He considers the film family-friendly and wants parents to watch it with their teens.
“The number one thing we heard in five years of research and talking to counselors and teachers and parents, students, was, ‘Please, please, please do not show an attempt at suicide.’ Because that creates an ideation,” Roberts said. “That’s the challenge — how do you make something real and honest but also, it’s family-friendly and provides hope? And it’s not cheesy. That’s something that I think we’ve nailed; that’s been the response that we’ve gotten.”
Roberts’ previous projects, including Trolls: Toymotion, which he directed, were geared toward children. He is the founder and creative director of Reckless Abandonment Pictures.
“It’s been a calling on my life and my team’s life,” he said of What Rhymes with Reason. “This whole project is God’s plan. It’s not Kyle Roberts’ plan.”
Visit WRWRFilm.com. The film is rated PG-13 for thematic material involving mental health and brief violence.
Video Credit: Kyle Roberts via Vimeo
Photo Credit: ©Fathom
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Related podcast:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group.