Withdrawn is
a depressingly sobering film about lonely white middle-class roommate life in
Toronto and subconsciously evading purpose day to day.
In Withdrawn Canadian director Adrian Murray tells a true to life tale of Aaron, a twenty something in Toronto, Canada who spends his days swindling his drug dealer and everyone else around him, playing video games and figuring out the wonders of the oh-so-hard Rubik’s cube. When Aaron finds a lost credit card on a bike ride, he redistributes his time figuring out the pin to the newly found card.
Adrian Murray’s film is essentially about the YouTube generation who believe that everything they say and do matters and must be known, and with that have every reason to never work a real job and to turn their current existence in a money making possibility, at least for the character of Aaron. Adrian Murray truly understands the personality of the revamped shy slacker of the 2010’s. Shy and awkward due lack of constant human interaction from consistent at home activity and therefore a creation of narcissism hearing ones of voice. Adrian Murray also understands the vibe of Toronto and the daunting expensive spectacle of a big city like Toronto that would withdraw one into reclusion without the means to fund one’s self. With a perfectly mundane directing style, Adrian Murray accurately depicts the setting in dread of aloof boredom and self involvement, staying on a single shit to let you sink into every moment of YouTube watching, trashing pushing, Rubik’s cube contemplating, money negotiating and bong puffing numbing-ness. Also, Adrian Murray touches upon the idea of non-territorial relationships of the current generation as with a scene where Aaron smokes weed with his roommate’s girlfriend while he’s passed out drunk, maybe in hopes to subtly make her his girlfriend.
Aaron Koegh plays Aaron it a very unseen way. He’s condescending but nice, and awkwardly manipulative in a very “Fuck boy” so of way that seems very inspired by a real-life person.
Withdrawn is Canadian film making at its best; raw, real and poignantly unapologetically Canadian.
- Maurice Jones
In Withdrawn Canadian director Adrian Murray tells a true to life tale of Aaron, a twenty something in Toronto, Canada who spends his days swindling his drug dealer and everyone else around him, playing video games and figuring out the wonders of the oh-so-hard Rubik’s cube. When Aaron finds a lost credit card on a bike ride, he redistributes his time figuring out the pin to the newly found card.
Adrian Murray’s film is essentially about the YouTube generation who believe that everything they say and do matters and must be known, and with that have every reason to never work a real job and to turn their current existence in a money making possibility, at least for the character of Aaron. Adrian Murray truly understands the personality of the revamped shy slacker of the 2010’s. Shy and awkward due lack of constant human interaction from consistent at home activity and therefore a creation of narcissism hearing ones of voice. Adrian Murray also understands the vibe of Toronto and the daunting expensive spectacle of a big city like Toronto that would withdraw one into reclusion without the means to fund one’s self. With a perfectly mundane directing style, Adrian Murray accurately depicts the setting in dread of aloof boredom and self involvement, staying on a single shit to let you sink into every moment of YouTube watching, trashing pushing, Rubik’s cube contemplating, money negotiating and bong puffing numbing-ness. Also, Adrian Murray touches upon the idea of non-territorial relationships of the current generation as with a scene where Aaron smokes weed with his roommate’s girlfriend while he’s passed out drunk, maybe in hopes to subtly make her his girlfriend.
Aaron Koegh plays Aaron it a very unseen way. He’s condescending but nice, and awkwardly manipulative in a very “Fuck boy” so of way that seems very inspired by a real-life person.
Withdrawn is Canadian film making at its best; raw, real and poignantly unapologetically Canadian.
- Maurice Jones
