Steve (Steven Stanton), a man with autism, struggles to come to grip with everyday life, and for him even the simple things can be a challenge, like bringing the right things home from the grocerer. He's an ace when it comes to computer games and talking superheroes for sure, but those are hardly useful skills in the real world - which is why he, a full-grown man, still lives with his mum (Jennifer Welsh). It's not that he isn't doing anything to improve his situation, he goes to a support group where there's even a girl (Rachael Mollison), and he even tries to get a job - but that said, the jog interviewer (Hasan Dixon) seems in no hurry to give even a simple menial job to a mentally challenged person. Not getting that job pushes Steve into a bit of a mental hole, so when walking home one night he witnesses a young thug (Simon Berry) attempting to rape a woman (Sarita Gabony), what will his depressed mind tell him to do?

Dramas about mental challenges are really a bit of hit-or-miss as they run the risk of either giving their subject matter too dry a treatment or going the tearjerker route ... or of course misunderstanding (and thus misrepresenting) the topic altogether. Spectrum though is most definitely a hit, as it finds a perfect middle ground, and instead of being all-out compelling or remaining too factual, it chooses a slice-of-life approach that doesn't solely focus on Steve's condition but also his routines, and that thus even lets some comedy and some sweet moments slip into the mix, making its story much more relatable that way. And a suitably subtle directorial effort and a very solid, believable cast sure help making this a very worthwhile watch.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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