Much of the horror line-up at the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival this year has been a visceral experience. Raw and investigative, Hypochondriac adds to this. A painful watch about deeply held familial trauma that manifests in mental illness, Hypochondriac is a fever dream turned real, pushing the bounds of what the viewer thinks is real while also making sure even the hallucinations carry emotional weight. The film is directed and written by Addison Heimann and stars Zach Villa as our lead Will.
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Living with a mentally ill parent, especially one who causes you harm (intentionally or unintentionally) is an experience that you always carry with you. In Hypochondriac, Will’s (Zach Villa) mentally ill mother (Marlene Forte) tried to kill him when he was 12, which led to her being sent to a mental health institution. Picking up 18 years after the traumatic event, Will believes that he has cured himself of any past traumas. He has a happy life with his boyfriend Luke (Devon Graye), a job he loves, and he even helps ground his co-worker when she experiences a panic attack. He is well-adjusted, to say the least.
Then, packages from his mom begin showing up, containing disturbing and paranoid tape-recorded messages. Ramblings and warnings become the soundtrack to his life as Will begins seeing things and feeling sick. Despite seeing various doctors (all of which are fun cameos), they keep telling him he’s physically fine, just stressed out. But the lack of answer sends him spiraling into an anxiety hole as his mind continues to deteriorate, and his mother stands as a specter of a future he’s hurtling towards and fighting against. Running away from one potential haven to another out of fear of hurting someone he loves, Will may not be able to escape the familial demons.
Hypochondriac’s exploration of mental illness hits harder given the character’s latinidad. Latinos don’t talk about mental illnesses, we don’t ask for help, and because of the marginalization we already face, seeking help is a hard choice to make. For some of us, we grew up around mental illness and learned how to spot it in ourselves. But instead of using that information as a way to seek help, we see it as a timebomb. This is captured perfectly by Will’s continued belief that something is wrong, fear that he’s right, and the ultimate realization that he’s followed his mom’s path to ruin, even though that was the last thing he wanted.
Watching Hypochondriac is like stroking a raw nerve. Each act increases tension and ramps up uncertainty as Will tries to take control of his life and is ignored by everyone around him. With his life spiraling, I found myself growing in unease. Shifting in my seat, with a weight in the pit of my stomach drilling deeper and making me want it all to end. I know what to look for in my own mental health because I know how it manifested around me, but each symptom and each note of abnormality feels like a dam is about to burst and it’s been like that since I was first diagnosed with an eating disorder more than 15 years ago.
Addison Heimann captures the raw and terrifying reality of processing trauma from the people who should love you the most. Villa’s portrayal of Will is highly emotive, terrifying, and real in a way that gets under your skin. While some elements feel unfocused, Hypochondriac is a beautifully moving and deeply dark exploration of mental illness, familial trauma, and more.
Hypochondriac screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 and is available to stream now on Prime Video.
