“Jump Darling” movie review

Jump, Darling is an independent drama film released in March of this year. The story follows the journey of a young man who goes by the name of Fishy Falters. He is a drag queen going through a challenging time who ends up heading over to the countryside to spend some time with his grandmother, Margaret.

He ends up going on a beautiful self-discovery journey with her and is able to slow down in a small town and reevaluate what he wants for his future. The movie puts a powerful emphasis on living out the true version of life that you want despite what others may think. The relationship between Fishy and Margaret is magnificent to watch come to life on screen. Margaret was a fascinating character who shared some similarities as well as internal struggles with her grandson while still being such a different individual.

It was truly sweet seeing these two characters together for a lot of the story. The transition that we see our lead go through is also quite beautiful to view. The film also dives into showing that even those who are out of the closet may still not be living their true authentic lives to the fullest, and that was quite a powerful and inspiring message to take away from the movie.

Director Phil Connell does a great job at giving the direction of this film a real and raw look. It definitely is a lower-budget production, but he really has a talent behind the camera because it worked well with the whole inspiring messages of the movie, generally about living your truth and the importance of full self-acceptance.

Actor Thomas Duplessie as our lead was the standout performance of all the actors here. Also, note that Cloris Leachman stars in the film as the grandmother and has an equally stirring performance.

Duplessie played this character in a beautiful and heartfelt way. The natural and authentic way he played out the more moving parts of the story was a joy to watch. The film was also pretty emotional but never in an over-the-top dramatic way. The scenes that contained more serious topics never felt corny or cheesy, either. It was all filmed with great authenticity and care and felt very organic, almost like you were there hanging out with this young man and his grandma at her countryside home.

I really enjoyed Jump, Darling. It was not too groundbreaking or stunning, but is still such an honest, simple, and touching story that would be especially important for LGBTQ viewers to see. It has a lot of heart to it, as well as several impactful messages for the audience to take away. 4 out of 5 stars.