Continue (2024) | Film Review

Suicide is one of the more difficult topics to cover in film, as for anyone who has been attached to it – whether it be a survivor, or a person connected to someone who has died by suicide – understands the moral complexities of this issue. Likewise, if you have no association, it can be arduous to ascertain the reasoning behind it. Suicide rates continue to rise, and any film or TV entity that chooses to deal with it needs to respect the severity of it. There are a few properties that have faced the subject directly with sincerity, though (the first season of 13 Reasons Why being a prime example), and now writer-director-star Nadine Crocker confronts this topic head-on in her new film, Continue.

The film opens with Dean (Nadine Crocker) after she has survived a suicide attempt and is now mandated to reside within a mental health facility as she works to understand the depths of her depression. Dean must learn how to cope with the complicated nature of her own mind, the anguish of her own past, and especially to chart a healthier, happier course forward.

Thankfully, she finds herself afforded with something many are unable to find when they need it most: help. Dean makes a new friend in Bria (Lio Tipton, a wonderful addition to this storyline) while in treatment, her sister Bennett (Katt Foster) who is consumed with ‘what ifs’ and has a very effective therapist in Janet (Emily Deschanel). Along the way, new love enters Dean’s life in the form of Trenton (Shiloh Fernandez). This film follows Dean’s journey as she tries to repair the bleak undercurrent residing in her own mind.

New friends and lovers do not equate joy amidst an easy recovery, Dean has a serious mental health issue. At times she is self-destructive, at others self-loathing. Nadine Crocker’s script nor performance never shies away from the fact that Dean is a relatable person with flaws, just like the rest of us, yet her brain processes her grief and frustration differently. Healing is a process, and not one that will ever be addressed by ‘walking it off”.

Though the supporting cast are all a compliment, the strength of Continue lies solely with Nadine Crocker. Her script is based on her own true story, and you can feel the passion and love behind every scenario and dialogue exchange. Dean is the centerpiece to not only the film, but also the challenges of confronting the fracturing of one’s own mind. There is no generic cure or prescription that easily wipes the pain away. Dean must learn that she will need to do the work to continue on, and it is a lesson worth learning. Her life, everyone’s life, is worth fighting for.

As a person who has not only direct connections to suicide and volunteered for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for many years, I also personally performed duties as Chair and orator for one of their annual regional walks numerous times. In other words, I take this topic very seriously. For many, it is triggering, disheartening, and often remains imbedded in the very fabric of your entire being. While the film’s subject matter might be a struggle for those connected to it, Continue handles Dean’s journey with care, warmth, and understanding, and Nadine Crocker delivers unflinchingly in every facet as writer, director, and star. Simply put, this is a powerful film.

If you or anyone you know needs help or is in crisis, please call or text the numbers below:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK(8255)

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Emergencies: Call or Text 988