Movie Review: ‘A Weird Kind of Beautiful’ – When The Past Crashes the Present

Writer and director Gabriel Mayo‘s feature film debut “A Weird Kind of Beautiful” takes us to a not-so-enjoyable gathering of old friends after the funeral of one of their own. It’s the kind of reunion that isn’t built on joy or nostalgia but on grief, unresolved tensions, and an unspoken need to find some sort of closure.

This indie drama doesn’t feel like it is just telling a story, it feels like an intentional tale to forcibly open old wounds that many of us have quietly been carrying in our friendship circles. Perhaps, rekindling the need to fix some situations and burn some bridges if need be.

In the film, a group of friends Ivan (played by Eric Hawrylciw), Bea (played by Mia Challis), and Mari (played Brittney Rae) are hanging out casually outside Ivan’s old lady’s house. They are just returning from the funeral of their friend David. Besides the mood being sombre, they are also worried about how they are going to scrape together $400 for a headstone they feel is a proper send-off gift for David.

We soon learn more about how their lives are going and what they each struggling with. They had called in an old friend Eric (played by David Hamzik) who has been away for years. They hope that he will be able to help them cover the bigger chunk of the money needed to get the headstone. Eric shows up with his girlfriend Ally (played by Savanah Joeckel) who doesn’t know much about his past life and these friends.

With the group dynamic changed, the stage is set for drama and tension that reveals years of resentment and unspoken truths amongst these friends.

Ivan in particular holds deep resentment toward Eric, and it doesn’t take long before he confronts him. What follows is a striking exchange, one of the film’s many moments of raw honesty where Eric reveals he left because everyone in the group was a bad influence, and he needed to get his life on track. He upsets the group further when he reveals that he and Ally are getting married.

As the narrative progresses, you soon realize that it is more than just a story about abandoned friendships and hurt feelings. The real reason Eric left begins to unravel when Bea and Mari reveal a long-held secret tied directly to David, the friend they are all mourning. It’s a secret that not only threatens the group’s friendship but also Eric‘s future with Ally.

Gabriel Mayo did his best to let the story unfold through dialogue. Even though the film is relatively dialogue-heavy, that is also where it shines the most. Every bit of exposition, character insight, and emotional shift is delivered through conversations that feel authentic and lived-in. The arguments, witty jabs, accusations, and confessions are not just well-written they’re incredibly delivered. You get a well-rounded perception of who each of these characters are. And the writing is so well done that through the other characters, you almost feel like you knew who David was whilst alive. You find yourself mentally picturing his charm, his flaws and even his importance to the group. That’s a rare kind of storytelling. When a character who’s never on screen still leaves such a lasting impression.

Performance-wise, all the actors excel. Eric Hawrylciw brings a brooding vulnerability to Ivan, while David Hamzik captures the discomfort of someone trying to escape their past, only to be pulled right back into it. Mia Challis and Brittney Rae also deliver standout performances that subtly yet impactfully balance the idea of loyalty versus the struggle of hiding long-held painful truths. And Savanah Joeckel’s Ally delivers as the perfect outsider who is confused, curious, and gradually shaken by things she learns about her partner.

It is also impressive how these actors seem to carry each other through every scene. No one tries to overshadow the other. It’s a true ensemble effort, and their chemistry makes it feel as though we’re eavesdropping on something real. The performances are so fluid, that it often feels like the entire film was shot in one long, uninterrupted take. And the fact that almost the entirety of the film is set in one location helps.

‘A Weird Kind of Beautiful’ tells a story that is easy to relate with. We all are aware that friendships especially those from our formative years often shape us. And we carry the emotional weight of leaving parts of ourselves behind when we have to move away from our friends. The film in a weird but beautiful way, invites us to sit in the discomfort of realizing what we became through the friends we’ve had and what we left behind in our quest for growth.

I will score this film 8/10. Through its narrative, we might be forced to ask hard questions about loyalty, guilt, and the enduring echoes of friendship. It reminds us that growing up sometimes means growing apart, and that healing doesn’t always look like forgiveness.