Review of Mortified Nation (2013) by Spencer S — 06 May 2014

This documentary follows a stage show that has travelled the entire United States and has cropped up in other countries, letting grown adults share their childhood traumas, their drama and frank naiveté.

People read from their diaries on stage for people, and this film tells their back stories. It also tells the story of how the show started, and what it means for the performers and the audience. The performances are pretty great since everything these people expose is real and sometimes truly painful.

This film really made me remember the anguish of being a teenager, and the impact it's still having on my life in my early twenties. Though some of that stuff still resonates, I also remember the cowardice, the ignorance, and petty fighting, which pepper these performances like the perfect spice.

This film will make you want to share and lambast yourself until kingdom come. It will also make you remember the good, the reasonably weird, and the selfishness, all in one fell swoop.