Watch Rainbow Time

Rainbow Time is a dramedy directed by Linas Phillips, who also stars in the film. The movie follows the story of a man who struggles to maintain a relationship with his special-needs sister while also dealing with his own psychological issues. The protagonist, Shonzi (Linas Phillips), is a developmentally challenged man who lives with his mother, Kathy (Tobin Bell), and spends most of his time watching videos on his computer. He is obsessed with a particular video featuring a woman named Lindsay (Melanie Lynskey), his sister's caregiver. When he learns that she is coming to visit, he is thrilled and excited to finally meet her in person.

Shonzi's sister, Todd (Tim Sharp), has Down Syndrome and is the center of his world. The two have a close bond and share a passion for making home movies. However, when Lindsay enters the picture, Doug realizes that he must learn to share his sister's attention with someone else.

As Shonzi tries to impress Lindsay with his quirky personality and homemade videos, he begins to realize that love is not as simple as he thought. His emotional immaturity and inability to communicate his feelings pose a challenge to his relationship with Lindsay. Meanwhile, his overprotective and controlling mother Kathy doesn't approve of his relationship with Lindsay.

The film explores the delicate themes of relationships, communication, and mental health in a heartfelt and nuanced manner. Linas Phillips delivers a standout performance as Shonzi, the main character, managing to create a character that is both endearing and complex.

Melanie Lynskey plays Lindsay, the love interest, with remarkable depth, portraying a complex woman who has her own emotional baggage but is also fiercely independent and confident. Timm Sharp rounds out the cast as Todd, Shonzi's sister, and gives a convincing performance as a person living with Down Syndrome.

Despite its serious themes, Rainbow Time never forgets to bring humor and warmth to the story. The home movie sequences that Todd and Shonzi create together are delightful, and their childlike innocence is a refreshing break from the adult complexities of the main plot.

Rainbow Time's cinematography and editing play a significant role in the storytelling, immersing the audience in the home-video aesthetic and creating a nostalgic atmosphere. The film's soundtrack also features a variety of indie-pop tracks, adding to the film's quirky and charming vibe.

In terms of its critical reception, Rainbow Time received generally positive reviews from critics. The movie won the audience award for Best Narrative Feature at the Sidewalk Film Festival in 2016 and also screened at the South by Southwest Film Festival.

Overall, Rainbow Time is a touching and relatable story of love, family, and self-discovery. It's a charming and well-acted movie that manages to walk the fine line between comedy and drama with grace and sensitivity.

Rainbow Time is a 2016 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9 and a MetaScore of 55.