Name: Everything Calls for Salvation
Director: Francesco Bruni
Released: 2022-10-14T12:30:00

Everything Calls for Salvation is an Italian comedy-drama series that follows Daniele, who wakes up involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward for a week, which permanently alters his life. This series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Daniele, a twenty-year-old troubled young man, wakes up in a psychiatric ward following a psychotic episode. He has no idea what brought him to this place, which is crowded with patients suffering from a variety of mental illnesses.

Dr. Cimaroli informs him that last night, while he was high on drugs, he accidentally pushed his father, causing him a head injury, and now he will be getting compulsory treatment in the psychiatric ward for a week.

Daniele ends up with four unlikely roommates with whom he believes he has nothing in common. What appears to be a sentence for a week gradually transforms into one of the most intense and formative experiences of his life.

Daniele’s roommates include Gianluca, a queer guy whose parents despise him and still, he is full of life; Mario, a former primary school teacher; Madonnina, who always prays to the Virgin Mary and can’t communicate properly; and Giorgio, who is obsessed with his dead mother.

They all accompany him on his journey of self-discovery.

During his seven-day stay, he meets Nina, one of his college crushes, in the psychiatric ward, and they both help each other as they learn how to love and live again.

Performances

The characters played by each of the actors in this series are all perfectly cast, and whether they’d like to admit it or not, each is battling their own personal demons.

Federico Cesari plays Daniele, a complicated and conflicted character that is difficult to portray, but he performs it flawlessly with a wide range of emotions.

Fotin Peluso as Nina is also excellent; she plays her intense character as expected, albeit more subtly, but nonetheless, effectively.

Vincenzo Nemolato as Madonnina and Lorenzo Renzi as Giorgio deliver outstanding performances, imbuing each of their characters with characteristics that perfectly define their respective mental states.

Overall, most acting performances are excellent, including Andrea Pennacchi as Mario and, in particular, Vincenzo De Michele as Gianluca, who is a ray of sunshine despite being the one who suffers the most as a bipolar and queer person.

Positives

The series delves deep into the precarious nature of mental illness and its impact on a person’s family. The entire narrative focuses on how people perceive mental health in general and how it actually is, without any pretense.

The most poignant interactions take place between Daniele and his fellow ward members because they are all trying to fight the same storm.

They find comfort and peace in one another, despite the fact that the rest of the world dismisses them and sees them as a reflection of their own problems.

Negatives

The series immerses us in the complex narrative of each character in the psychiatric ward trying to cope with different mental health issues, but it doesn’t make enough of an effort to explore each character as intensely as it does with the protagonist.

The series tries to dispel stigmas associated with mental illness, but it uses a romantic subplot that obscures the key message.

Verdict

Everything Calls for Salvation is a good dramedy to watch that genuinely addresses mental health issues. The entire series revolves around watching patients form bonds as they start to realize what life is all about and learn to be honest with themselves.