Henry Flodeen is the average kid trying to live an average life, but what he doesn’t know is that every move and decision he makes is being watched. He doesn’t know that he is the star of his very own show. The executive producer and director, Maddie Olson, tries to capture his life and control it, which goes to the extent of removing those he cares about. As Henry uncovers a truth he never wanted to discover, he must consider whether or not to take action.
The Henry Flodeen Show is a film that follows 15-year-old Henry Flodeen, who is trying to navigate his first year of high school, friends, and life. He does his best to look at the bright side until he starts to notice anomalies taking place throughout his day. His best friend, Kaia Maki, urgently tells him that his life is based around a TV show dedicated to him; that his entire life has been a lie. Henry, in disbelief, disregards her warning and reassures himself that everything will return to normal. However, he finds out that Kaia has been “sent to boarding school” by her parents, and Jocelyn Wischer becomes his new best friend. This is when his suspicion grows, and he dives into searching for the truth. Maddie Olson, threatened by his search, does everything in her power to make sure Henry never uncovers the truth and never leaves.
The Henry Flodeen Show was released on December 31st, 2015, and box officed over 2 trillion dollars. The film was rated 10 stars by Rotten Tomatoes and 5 stars by IMDb (Internet Movie Database). The movie exceeded the expectations of many critics, including one of the harshest critics in the world, Monette Otterness. “Henry may have not gone out for track and field, but this film made me run for a box of tissues”, Otterness exclaimed. The movie was even reviewed by the one and only Jim Carrey, who starred in The Truman Show. Jim Carrey was hit with nostalgia from his days of filming The Truman Show, and in tears said that “the film deserves a standing ovation from the Oscars” and “The Henry Flodeen Show is even better than The Truman Show.”
The acting was absolutely incredible, as everyone starred as themselves in the film. Henry held the audience’s attention throughout the entire film. His emotions were raw and clear, it was almost as if he was living in the exact moment. Maddie Olson chose to portray anger in a different way; rather than an outburst, she was cold and menacing, which was quite scary and suspenseful. Speaking of suspenseful, the build up to the climax was probably the most stressful part of the film, as each scene placed everyone on the edge of their seat. There were multiple unexpected twist and turns, yet it wasn’t too overwhelming for the audience to process. Even though the plot was quite similar to The Truman Show, the directors decided to amp up the shock and betrayal to the next level. The shock and heart break of Henry finding out of what truly happened to Kaia was extremely hard to watch, and brought many tearful eyes.
Even though The Truman Show was spectacular, The Henry Flodeen Show is truly a must see film that will make anyone cry and scream their heart out. The movie was truly a journey, as everyone got to travel and discover the truth with Henry. The audience was going crazy by the end wondering if Henry would truly be able to escape the TV set and reunite with Kaia. The Henry Flodeen Show deserves recognition and praise for its brilliant actors, behind the scene crew, and directors and producers, as they put much effort into the film to make it into what it is today. The film taught the lesson to be weary of who to trust, and follow to that gut feeling, as there could be a pair of eyes anywhere.
