DimLand

Brynn (Martha Brown), hoping to escape her downtrodden and melancholic reality, decides that she and her boyfriend, Laika (Odinaka Ezeokoli), will travel to her uncle’s summer cottage to relieve some stress and right the emotional wrongs in their lives. However, upon arriving at the house, Brynn and Laika discover that things have changed drastically since the last time they’d visited. The relaxation that Brynn had hoped to find may just escape her, and the journey she is about to embark on will be unlike anything she had expected. DimLand, written and directed by Peter Collins Campbell, is Brynn’s voyage through life as she tries to find herself and right the veritable ship that is her existence.

The film plays out as an emotional escapade that reflects the reality of nearly everyone watching. The story itself seems to lack direction, but that is completely intentional. It is the struggles residing within the mind of Brynn that the filmmaker is keen to express. Campbell’s vision appears to be opening eyes to struggles with mental health, regardless of how silly some of those issues may appear to the outside world.

I’ve never been one to talk much about mental health, even though I know strife of this nature exists. Watching DimLand left me no choice but to explore my psyche and examine the struggles that exist within others worldwide. The power of Campbell’s words is unexpectedly brilliant, compelling all watching to question everything in their stead and look toward a better future.

“…upon arriving at the house, Brynn and Laika discover that things have changed drastically…”

While the message is well received and understood, there appears to be inexperience within the cinematography department that struggles to capture everything throughout DimLand. Shaky camera work alters the reception of some of the more important sequences and often distracts from the emotional pull that should be present in the more emotional scenes. I struggled in these moments to understand the intention of the cast and crew and was subjected to something juvenile in nature.

While the cinematography is sometimes shaky, Brown’s ability to convey raw emotion is unparalleled. She is elegant and emotionally relatable as she presents viewers with the ability to see themselves in a new light. There is nothing extravagant about the way the actor approaches the role of Brynn; she’s simplistically brilliant playing the role of an everyman. Her facial expression, mannerisms, and interesting monotone voice that pierces viewers’ ears force them to really appraise not only the characters on screen but themselves as well. Furthermore, her ability to convey wide-ranging emotion permits audiences to appreciate Campbell’s message better as she begs them to consider brighter days ahead rather than the dreary ones that may lay behind them.

The journey through DimLand is unique, mystical, and eye-opening; nothing else quite like it exists in the world, and it’s possibly exactly what is needed right now. It can’t be said enough how powerful the message is and how the stellar performance of Brown brings the director’s vision to life. Campbell’s feature-length debut is unlike anything you’ve seen before, and Campbell and Brown’s brilliance is the centerpiece of its success.