When Time Got Louder (2023)

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I tend to watch all kinds of movies out there, most of them being of the action or adventure variety. Every so often I try to check out some on the drama side, namely those dealing with families and the joy and pain they share. The latest one that caught my attention is When Time Got Louder, which captures family drama and exploring new romances in a nicely directed package.

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In this film, we enter the life of a young lady named Abbie (Willow Shields of Hunger Games fame) who happens to land an art scholarship for college and can’t wait to enter a new phase of her life on the path to adulthood. While she’s excited for this, she’s also torn at the fact of leaving her parents Mark (Lochlyn Munro) and Tish (Elizabeth Mitchell) alone with her autistic, non-verbal brother Kayden (Jonathan Simao), as she’s been his anchor ever since they were kids and share a special bond.

As Abbie leaves for college and gets her first taste of freedom and independence, it isn’t long before she runs into a young lady named Karly (Ava Capri) at a college party where they quickly begin to fall in love with each other. Meanwhile Abbie’s parents are having an increasingly hard time keeping Kayden under control as he becomes more upset and distant from them the longer Abbie is away.

Upon learning of this which eventually leads to something terrible happening with the family I dare not spoil, Abbie is torn between staying in college and making things work with her new love, or returning home and giving up her chance at being independent.

LGBTQ+ director, producer, and writer Connie Cocchia’s film debut is a well crafted one as she blends together a teen coming into the early stages of adulthood while also mixing in dealing with autism and the drama that comes with a family on the verge of coming apart in a realistic, well done manner I enjoyed seeing unfold.

This film reminded me a lot of 2021’s CODA that also dealt with a young person exploring freedom while feeling guilty for leaving their family that’s dependent on them. I think it’s nice some movies are starting to focus on relatable drama like this as millions are doing their best to cope with situations similar to the ones featured in this movie everyday.

Those looking for an interesting film to check out in theaters will want to give When Time Got Louder a look. It tackles the drama of a family coming apart as they care for a special needs teenager, as well as showcasing the highs and lows of entering adulthood, the independence of being on your own, and experiencing love for the first time. For this to be Connie Cocchia’s directorial debut, it has me curious to see what she has in store next.