PURE O

Cooper is a screenwriter/musician who also works as a rehab counselor. Recently diagnosed with a form of OCD, he must navigate his new engagement, an ailing loved one, his clients, and his unpredictable compulsions. Writer-director Dillon Tucker‘s semi-autobiographical SXSW 2023 film PURE O makes the invisible disability visible.

PURE O focuses on the importance of support. We watch Copper surround himself with others in the same position. But the film also delivers unfiltered conversations between lovers. They are messy and real. Anyone in a grownup relationship has said or heard those words. It’s not sugar-coated, and I appreciate that.

Hope Lauren, as Emily, is a fun, down-to-earth, supportive partner. Her vulnerability with Dorr makes for a sweet pair. She handles Emily’s loaded circumstances like a pro. Her singing voice is also delicious. Daniel Dorr is charming as Cooper. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He is unafraid to leave it all onscreen. That is what this role demands. His chemistry with Lauren is perfect. They are genuinely cute together.

I’m on the cusp of Gen X and millennials, but I’ll be damned if you label me the latter. I am fully aware that I grew up with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder. For as long as I can remember, my irrational fears and body-shaking anxiety has hindered parts of my life. Motherhood exacerbated everything, which I hear is “normal.” Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed I do nothing. I am frozen. I have to say I am the only one in my family not in therapy or on meds. Someday I think they might help. On other days I’m weirdly proud I’m “managing” without either. That is a symptom of my upbringing. PURE O resonated with me on a level I never expected. Certain scenes, particularly the immersion therapy session, elevated my heart rate and made me squirm immediately.

Dillon Tucker’s original songs are fantastic. Tight handheld closeups place the viewer in the manic mindset of Cooper. The intersection of rehab counseling and Cooper’s therapy sessions proves intriguing and complicated. This device is necessary to see the work in action and appreciate the nuance of addiction and mental health. It also calls attention to others’ perceptions of us. The intense scene between Cooper and aggressive patient Brandon illustrates the importance of making invisible disabilities visible. Sure, with an almost two-hour runtime, PURE O may benefit from a few cuts. But Tucker’s storytelling curveballs create an undeniably compelling narrative. PURE O gives those of us living in quiet anguish a loud voice.