Some men would rather talk to a camera than to the people they love. In Daniel Glenn-Barbour’s The Worth of Life, one such man turns the lens on his own family — but is he capturing their story, or is this the only way he can get people to listen?
Jordan Faiyaz (Rico Bowlin) is like every documentarian in existence; he’s broke and can’t get his project off the ground. Enter Tyler James Stevens (Micah Tsekiri) with a proposition: he’ll pay Jordan enough to bankroll his documentary if Jordan shoots a second one for Tyler on the side. Tyler calls it “The Worth of Life,” in which Jordan follows Tyler’s family as they try to stay together after the passing of their matriarch, Maria (Felicity Ethnic).
So Jordan tags along with his camera as Tyler sneaks interviews with his family, who mostly play along — the thinking being Tyler is such a screw-up that this documentary will never see the light of day. His father, Desmond (Les Blair), wants him to quit dreaming and get a real job. His brother, Ty-rell (Ryan Thompson), wants no part of the project and resents that Tyler hasn’t lifted a finger since their mother got sick — he just lies in bed all day. Then there’s Amy (Zoe Rae), Tyler’s girlfriend, who dumps him out of nowhere.
The longer Jordan films, the more he realizes Tyler isn’t just documenting his family. Tyler is struggling too, and he wants his voice heard — a message about men who need help, support, and resources to cope with life. But why is he in such a hurry to get it all on camera? As Tyler’s interactions with everyone around him become increasingly real, Jordan starts to suspect that his subject has ulterior motives for making this documentary.
“The longer Jordan films, the more he realizes Tyler isn’t just documenting his family.”
There’s a clear indie spirit at the foundation of The Worth of Life — a group of filmmakers and actors who have something to say about men’s mental health, the importance of community, of talking about what’s going on, and of being there for one another. The entire project may be low-budget DIY, but it never looks cheap. What’s important is that everyone involved believes in this project and its message, and they’re putting it all out there for you.
What I like about the story is how it plays out. We’ve seen the documentary-within-a-documentary before. The premise is we’re watching a film being made unconventionally, and then everything unravels by the end. That’s true with The Worth of Life, but for some reason, the true ending caught me completely off guard. Tyler is a man brimming with emotions and thoughts, convinced that the only way to be heard is through a documentary like this. Then the third act arrives, and you realize what’s really going on.
The film is loaded with up-and-coming actors who have taken up the mantle: “If no one’s gonna hire us, we’re gonna make our own.” They do wrestle a bit with coming across as “spontaneous” for the camera. The acting is good, and the dialogue is succinct, which rarely happens in films like this. Micah Tsekiri, as Tyler, does incredible work carrying the film’s emotional tone, and Rico Bowlin pushes the narrative forward as Jordan.
But ultimately, the message wins out. Daniel Glenn-Barbour’s script and direction say everything they need to say on the subject, and it’s an important one, too: mental health is something we overlook in our closest friends. We don’t see the signals or signs until it’s too late. Hopefully, The Worth of Life shines a light on that and helps us catch it in time.
For more information, visit the official The Worth of Life Instagram page.
"…We don't see the signals or signs until it's too late."
