Watch Chained For Life

Chained for Life is a 2018 independent film written and directed by Aaron Schimberg. The movie stars Jess Weixler and Adam Pearson, both of whom play actors working on a low-budget horror movie. The film explores themes related to on-screen representation, beauty standards, and disability. The movie opens with the film crew arriving at a hospital to cast disabled actors for their movie. This is where they meet Mabel (Jess Weixler), a beautiful actress who begins to question the morality of casting actors with their condition as 'freaks' in a horror movie. Soon, the actors, including Adam Pearson, who has a facial deformity, begin to form a bond, and the line between the real world and the fictional world of the movie starts to blur.

The movie is a commentary on the film industry's fetishization of bodies, especially those of disabled people. Mabel's character, who is conventionally beautiful, starts to question why the producers would choose to cast disabled actors in a horror movie. She sees the movie as perpetuating the belief that people with disabilities are inherently scary, and believes that this kind of representation does more harm than good.

As the movie progresses, Mabel's relationships with the other actors deepen, and she starts to question her own sense of morality. She has always been praised for her beauty, but interacting with the other actors makes her realize that the characters they are playing are more complex and interesting than the typical good-looking protagonist. Although the other actors are seen through Mabel's perspective, Schimberg avoids stereotype and elevates them beyond their disabilities, so the movie becomes more of an exploration of human interaction than a condemnation of society's treatment of people with disabilities.

Jess Weixler delivers a superb performance as Mabel, a woman whose growing sense of empathy leads her to question her own privilege. Weixler humanizes Mabel, and the character's growth throughout the movie feels natural and earned. Adam Pearson is excellent as the other lead, a man who is used to people staring at his face. Pearson's character is the emotional anchor of the film, and his chemistry with Weixler is one of the movie's highlights.

Another standout element of the movie is its cinematography. Although Schimberg's direction is solid overall, the extreme close-ups of the actors' faces are what give the movie its unique aesthetic. Whether it's allowing the audience to focus on the intricacies of Pearson's facial structure or capturing the tiniest details of Weixler's performance, the camera work is always engaging and inventive.

Overall, Chained for Life is an engrossing and thought-provoking movie that challenges the audience's perspective on disability and representation. Schimberg deftly avoids cliché and stereotypes, and the movie benefits from the strong performances of its leads. Fans of independent cinema will find much to appreciate in this smart and nuanced film, and it should not be missed by anyone with an interest in the representation of disability in popular culture.

In conclusion, Chained for Life is an important film that explores the relationship between representation and disability. The movie is not only a critique of the movie industry's treatment of disabled actors but an exploration of the human experience. The movie is beautifully filmed and delivered with superb performances. Overall, it is a must-watch for anyone who is interested in exploring diversity in cinema.

Chained For Life is a 2019 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 79.