You worked toward something significant for months, maybe years. You finally got there. And then — instead of fireworks — you felt aimless, confused, maybe even a little let down. If that sounds familiar, the film In A World… (2013) captures this experience better than almost anything else I've come across, and it has something genuinely useful to say about what comes next.

Why do comforting escapes sometimes start to feel more real than our actual lives? This reflection explores escapism, dissociation, comfort shows, scrolling, and the emotional pull of imagined worlds through the film I Saw the TV Glow.

Why does certainty about other people feel so emotionally relieving? Using the film Mickey 17, this post explores black and white thinking, snap judgments, and the discomfort of sitting with ambiguity and complexity in other people.

Many people know they didn’t deserve what happened to them — but still struggle to feel worthy of better. Using the film Mickey 17, this post explores how trauma and repeated dehumanization can shape self-worth long after the trauma has ended.

Why do we sometimes laugh off painful experiences, even when they genuinely hurt us? A reflection on Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022), trauma, family stories, and the pressure to adopt the “acceptable” version of events.

Sometimes we tell painful stories repeatedly because part of us is still trying to convince ourselves they really happened. A reflection on Nope (2022), trauma, and the need to be believed.