Rite of the Shaman

The majority who watched this got it. A few did not. I recommend the few that didn't go back and watch it again.

Strange set up with no payoff. Very amateurish

Amazing movie witha great message. This is definitely a feel good film that we really need right now in our struggling society. You leave with a greater perception in life and on the small choices you make that can and will make a big difference.

This is such a deep. Really uplifting and a beautiful ending with a great message. Tyrell Oberle really stood out in this film too. Great actor and the director did an exceptional job making this come alive. 5 stars from me!

This movie took me on an emotional journey and left me in a better place. A great movie, with a much-needed message.

This is a rather amateur-ish feel-good movie. The photography is good. The acting is mediocre. The screenplay is poorly written and lacks believability—people would never really react the way the movie shows they do. One nice thing—just when you think it’s getting really boring, it’s over.

after seeing this on fox 13 i thought i would go support the locals. i wasn't expecting much but oh man was i wrong. first lets talk about why the movie was made. that is enough to make me cry already, bless that mother and her child who plays the lead character. the actor drew me right into the emotional experience and rollercoaster ride of feelings. the gradual descent into depression sometimes for reasons that people who havent experienced depression would not understand. sometimes there is no reason at all. but this poor kid is bullied dealing with his sick mom and the pressures of being the man of the house while going through regular teen feelings. he gradually sinks into despair but then has that epiphany in nature with his grandfather and ancestor as his guide. knowing that he has claimed his power and voice what happens next is enough to make me cry just thinking about it. this is such a powerful message that needs to get into schools right now. you are loved!

I heard about this from a post on Facebook neighborhoods and thought I would go check it out to support the community. I wasn't expecting much. Not many movies come out of Utah that aren't religious, out of state, Christmas yada yada. This was a breath of fresh air. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for making a Utah movie that is not religious. We need more movies like this to help put Utah on the map. I am so proud of the fillmakers in this Oquirrh West Jordan neighborhood, I am taking my kids and girlfriend to see this.

I heard about this movie from the Pagan market and was not sure what to expect from the title. I was afraid it was going to be some pushy religious movie. I am floored. This movie is a spiritual journey, which is much different than religion. It pulled me in and took me on a sensory journey from feeling the pressures that Kai is going through, the gradual sinking into depression (thank you for not stigmatizing depression by the way), his break and anger with the world, and the pow! From mid point of the movie on, I experienced feelings that I can only describe as enlightenment. From happy tears, to compassion, to feeling one with the universe, to claiming your personal power, to wanting to bring smiles to fellow humans. I left the theater feeling renewed, moved, and inspired. Going to buy post-its now. No joke! Will you be the tea leaf?

Look, I wanted to like it. I wanted to LOVE it. I really did. But I in good conscience cannot give a positive appraisal of the film. A lot of the people on here are cast/crew/family members who mean well. But, there are some major issues. SPOILER WARNING!!! In the beginning, it becomes clear that there is no story structure at all. It felt like I was watching an hours worth of events that "loosely tied together". Twenty minutes into the movie, I turned to my friend and whispered, "What is this movie even about?" Some might say that you can possibly argue, "They did show you what the movie was about!! The very first scene. Okay... so the movie is about a kid running away to the woods, "connecting with nature and his ancestors"? If that were the case, we would have seen a lot more of that journey. But it didn't go that route. My biggest issue is that Kai (The lead character) all of a sudden starts writing bad reviews and posts them on social media. These reviews lead to the probation of a teacher, the estrangement of a friend, and the apparent firing of someone from a Plant Nursery. Keep in mind, each of these people were trying to help given that they could all tell something was bugging Kai. Due to his actions and the damage he did on these people's lives, we essentially lost all connection to the character. He "repairs" the damage in the third act, but my friend remarked, it takes a second to break a pot, but a month to put it back together. The damage was resolved too quickly and with questionable motivation. (Example - his bully wouldn't just suddenly turn his life around just because of one post it) From a technical point of view, the acting was incredibly flawed across the board with only a few exceptions. Returning again to the story structure, there wasn't a clear structure. The third act included Kai finally "Seeing the light" and "listening to his shaman ancestors" and turning around and apologizing to everyone for what he did. Everyone magically forgives him, really quickly. Because they can "see his change of heart" and he spreads around positive messages on post-its. All is well with the world. Everyone forgives him, these post-it messages change everything. He wheels out his sick mom. And... The end. Literally. That's it. Even if this was an attempt at abstract-ism, it still didn't do very well. I wish I was writing a glowing review. I wanted this film to be spectacular especially with the pomp and circumstance around the "Utah Film Festival" award win, which now leads me to question the authenticity of the festival. I sincerely hope that the filmmakers will take this criticism and use it as a means of moving forward to make quality films in the future.