Review of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You (2012) by Cait S — 15 Oct 2012

"Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You" captures how being an introverted teenager feels TO the teenager. Much of the conflict lies in the internal battle the protagonist has with himself, though the dysfunction in the world around him (i.e. his crazy family) amplifies his feelings of not belonging. The lead, Toby Regbo, displays phenomenal prowess in his portrayal of the confused James, who seems to be drowning in the struggles of being 17.

That being said, one needs to enter the film in an independent / art film frame of mind. Though focusing on a high school protagonist, this isn't "Superbad" or "Mean Girls" where the concrete goals are getting the girl/guy or throwing the best party of their high school lives. "Someday" is more subtle, an emotional look at how one teenager's isolation truly feels like the end of the world to him. And who hasn't felt that at one point?