Fantasia '19 Film Review - Daniel Isn't Real

8-Year-Old Luke (Griffin Robert Falkner) doesn't have any friends and is witness to raised voices and flying objects as his parents split up right in front of him. His mother Claire (Mary Stuart Masterton) is also suffering from mental illness to compound the situation. Wandering out of the house to avoid the latest argument he happens onto the scene of a mass shooting at the café. The killer's dead body lying with its head back, eyes starring at him from the doorway on the other side of police tape. Another apparent bystander Daniel kid slightly older than Luke strikes up a conversation starting a friendship. However only Luke can see Daniel who has a mean streak. Following an incident orchestrated by Luke's imaginary friend that threatens Clair's health, she instructs Luke to banish Daniel to his Grandmothers old dollhouse where he locks the door and puts away the key.

Sophomore director Adam Egypt Mortimer adapts Brian DeeLeeuw's novel on a project seven and a half years in the making. Mortimer made some changes to the source material but the essence remains a story of a lonely stressed boy turned young adult dealing with mental issues of his mother and his own the latter possible stemming from an outside force as opposed to something internal.

The story jumps ahead to college where dorm dwelling Luke (now Miles Robbins) seeks help from counselor Dr. Cornelius Braun (Chuckwodi Iwuki) who suggest that Luke embrace his imagination once again. He returns home to his increasingly unstable mother to open the dollhouse releasing the adult Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger) who at first is helpful to Luke but soon reveals a different agenda.

Daniel Isn't Real is a film that studies the intersection between mental health and demonic possession. Is someone with mental health issues being driven to act by an internal dialogue, a hidden personality or an outside invading entity? Lead by sons of famous actors (Tim Robbins and Arnold Schwarzenegger) with a strong supporting performance by American Honey's Sasha Lane the story will hold the audience attention as Mortimer unpeels layers building the tension. Some of the choices by the characters especially Dr. Braun are puzzling yet overall the storytelling is original backed by a  visually engaging cinematic design.

*** Out of 4

Daniel Isn't Real | Adam Egypt Mortimer | U.S.A. | 2019 | 96 minutes.

Tags: Brooklyn, Active Shooter, Divorce, Imaginary Friend, Schizophrenia, Hallucinations, Possession, Tibet Mythology, Friendship.