Secrets spill out when a group of friends gathers for the funeral of one of their own in Gabriel Mayo’s dramatic feature, A Weird Kind of Beautiful. The night begins with a group of old friends, Ivan (Eric Hawrylciw), Bea (Mia Challis), and Mari (Brittney Rae), reuniting at Ivan’s house, not out of joy but necessity. They are here because of the death of their friend David, who died of an accidental overdose. This reunion has ulterior motives as they need to scrape together enough cash for David’s headstone that Mari promised he’d have. Ivan, a wannabe rock star, plays the reluctant host while stewing in resentment that they are broke. Bea is now his girlfriend, whose knack for needling him only adds fuel to the fire.
Ivan, Bea, and Mari can only afford $80 to pay for the $400 headstone. To cover the balance, they invite Eric (David Hamzik), an old friend who disappeared from the group eight years ago without explanation. Everyone else has chipped in $80, and they expect Eric to cough up the last $320. Eric says yes, but Eric’s girlfriend Ally (Savanah Joeckel) objects to Eric spending all that money on friends he hasn’t seen in a long time.
As drinks flow and small talk thins, Ivan confronts Eric about why he left the group. Eric explains that he left because everyone was a bad influence on him and that he needed to get his life straightened out. Ivan soon takes the “so you think you’re better than us” stance, and soon, this will be a night no one forgets.
“Secrets spill out when a group of friends gathers for the funeral of one of their own.”
First, it’s really easy to relate to the themes in A Weird Kind of Beautiful. For most of us, high school represented our formative years. For four years, we had our friends who molded and shaped us for better or worse, and in the case of Eric…it was worse. Writer/director Gabriel Mayo highlights themes of our past, including nostalgia for the way things were, disconnection for the abrupt way our friendships ended, and, with time, an emotional reckoning to what we’ve become and, in this case, the people we left behind.
A Weird Kind of Beautiful is a very indie drama. It was conceived of and shot during COVID. Like any indie filmmaker, you’ve got to make your movie no matter what obstacles you face. In my interview with filmmaker Mayo, he spoke about moving back to Florida, gathering some friends, and shooting his film in a single location. Voilà—a movie.
Weirdly, COVID gave Mayo the tools he needed to make a fantastic film. Many indie films don’t have the luxury of rehearsals. When you’re in lockdown, the bubble is a great way to hang out and let actors focus on the story and dialogue. In fact, many of the scenes consist of long single takes. His cast is great, and they give stellar performances from start to finish. A Weird Kind of Beautiful is part Breakfast Club and part Big Chill.
A Weird Kind of Beautiful is a raw, intimate reckoning with the ghosts of friendships past. Gabriel Mayo crafts a tightly wound, emotionally honest drama. It’s the kind of indie gem that proves all you need is one location, a few friends, and the guts to tell the truth.
"…Part Breakfast Club and part Big Chill."
