The Secret Art of Human Flight

This movie is amazing! I have watched this on separate occasions and it hits me the same every time. If you want to understand grief and what it feels like to lose a part of yourself then this movie is for you. Every member of the cast but especially Grant Rosenmeyer and Paul Raci are incredible. Grant does an amazing job of playing the grief stricken husband who just seems lost and clinging, Ben and with Paul Raci coming in as Mealworm to show him a way out of grief. Lucy DeVito is amazing as the sister of Ben, Gloria. She is just trying to help her brother but cannot seem to reach him. The ending is probably the best part and I love discussing it with others thinking of what it means and what actually happened. If you go out of your way to watch one movie, this is the one you should pick!

This was an interesting and kind of comedic exploration into the things we do as part of the grieving process for those we love, but also with a tilt into the fantastical and how sometimes imagination, reconciliation with the circumstances, that will help you get through those circumstances, as inane as they are, will be a way forward. I like the fact that the film is mainly character and emotion-driven with little special effects or reliance on cheap plot/cinematic devices, and Grant Rosenmeyer did a wonderful job playing Ben. I felt a variety of emotional ups and downs with this movie, and I think it's a fun "try-watching-the-first-10-minutes-to-see-if-it-fits-with-you" kind of movie.

So glad to have seen this film - it goes all kinds of places in its journey through loss. Amazing indie gem!

Although there are films a plenty about “grief,” this is one of the most original and intriguing ones I’ve seen in a while. The Secret Art of Human Flight follows Ben (Grant Rosenmeyer) after the sudden death of his wife, Sarah (Reina Hardesty), with whom he co-authorized children’s books. Since Sarah’s death, Ben has struggled to do… anything. There’s even a time lapse scene where Ben doesn’t move from a lawn chair for three days. One night, Ben stumbles into the “darkweb” and buys a book from a guru (Paul Raci) that promises if all lessons are followed exactly, the reader will attain the ability to fly. Shot with a 4:3 aspect ratio with rounded edges, the film is intimate, much of it taking place in Ben’s small house and its environs. “Mealworm” (Raci) doesn’t just remain a figure on internet videos, but actually arrives at Ben’s house from New Mexico (according to the plates) and leads him in one-on-one sessions. These sessions range from the typical “drive a car behind someone while they run in front of it” to communicating with birds. There’s an unnecessary subplot about Ben potentially murdering Sarah that was forced and never gains much traction and should’ve been removed entirely. The antagonist here is simply grief itself. Ben’s sister, Gloria (Lucy DeVito) — who provides timely comedic relief — would’ve served fine as Mealworms skeptic. The “asylum” scene was also silly and unnecessary. Paul Raci, who gained wide acclaim for his performance in Sound of Metal, seems molded from scratch to play Mealworm. The Secret Art of Human Flight is one of those movies that reaffirms my knack for trying indie films that I haven’t heard anything about, even after viewing several bad ones.

Neither funny nor cute all I can figure is a paid off review listing for this god awful movie. It's really quite terrible,

quirky middle class movie.... i couldnt watch all of it. abandoned after 1 hour

Poignant, complex, human. An amazingly touching story told with grace, humor and heart.

I absolutely loved the genre-breaking choices that dug into the absurdity that is the human condition. What an incredible film.

You could tell the budget wasnt that big but they do everything they can with what they had. A very enjoyable film. I like when films actually go there and dont take the easy way out. Definitely check it out

This film needs more recognition