The following review was published during the film’s theatrical release.

The opening moments of Ethan Eng’s directorial debut, Therapy Dogs, shows his co-writer and best friend Justin Morrice riding in the passenger seat of a car being driven by his lecturing mother. As if inspired to create a darker version of the Lady Bird opening, Justin hurls himself out of the moving car to his presumed death upon a pointed inquiry about school. Of course, this did not actually happen, but this manifestation of existential dread and youthful anxiety feels authentic to the emotions of the subject. It is also your first indication that what you are about to witness is not going to fit neatly into the standard-issue documentary format.

Developed by the pair in 2017 at the age of 16 and captured during their 2018-2019 senior year of high school, Therapy Dogs sets out with the lofty idea of creating the ultimate senior video that might help make sense of their high school existence. By fabricating the idea of a yearbook video, Eng was allowed unparalleled access to the inner-workings of his Mississauga high school just outside of Toronto. By adhering to the old credo of “it is better to ask forgiveness than permission,” the two were able to capture as authentic of a high school experience as has been portrayed on film. Even when the film indulges in staged sequences like the opening, it is all in service of translating the deep emotions of modern youths into something meaningful and relatable.

Shot using an array of different cameras from professional setups to cell phone footage, Eng finds a way to capture his peers with their barriers down. There are relatively quaint moments like learning the girl you have a crush on would have said “yes” if you had only had the courage to ask her out. Beyond that, though, things escalate precipitously outside of the confines of the school hallways as groups of roaming boys explore abandoned buildings or go on an LSD odyssey through downtown Toronto. The latter is humorously juxtaposed with Justin’s real-life appearance in a MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) promotional video which pokes holes in the artifice of what is right and wrong.

There are several key figures beyond Ethan and Justin who the film returns to for a more grounding presence throughout. The most captivating of these subjects is Kevin Tseng, a handsome, floppy-haired guy whose aloofness screams cool. Kevin is equally at home in the midst of the aforementioned LSD trip as well as a member of the school drama department. There is more than one example of the admiration his peers have for him, but even during moments of triumph Kevin can be found sneaking away for a solitary smoke and reflection on his trajectory. In an admission late in the film, Kevin expresses his own self-doubt to Ethan about ever breaking away and becoming successful. If the presumed school “cool guy” is bleeding confidence, what hope does that leave for the rest of us?

It may seem a bit self-indulgent to think that anyone outside of your friend group would care to see what you went through during high school, but Therapy Dogs manages to tap into a universal truth at various points throughout. Even audiences who are some years removed from high school themselves will recognize the feelings on display. There is a period of time before you are forced into the “real world” when you feel almost invincible physically and utterly adrift mentally and emotionally. Instead of planning your next steps, it feels easier to strap yourself to the roof of a car or jump off a tall bridge into uncertain water. The latter is included during a portion of the movie entitled “Bad ideas are better with friends.”

The uncertainty of the transition from youth to adulthood goes hand-in-hand with larger themes such as male friendship, which is operating at a particularly heightened level at this point in life. Oftentimes young men lack the tools to properly sift through the myriad of emotions they have swirling around in their brains, and it is not uncommon to see that manifest as aggression. There is the expected destruction of property throughout the film, but one of the most visceral moments comes from Ethan and Justin’s decision to (playfully) exchange blows in an enclosed shopping cart corral. Even without the animosity, the blows are real and the two come away with bloody smiles and various small welts and lacerations. Yet, the true pain comes not from any fist, but rather a fumbled admission of genuine love and admiration which is misinterpreted. For all of the physical strength they might have, it takes only a few stray words to leave a mark.

Ethan and Justin embarked upon this project as a way to gain clarity during this tumultuous period in their lives. It is hard for any teenager to achieve clarity, and this documentary certainly does not solve any grand mystery about the high school experience. What it does achieve is immortalizing the chaotic feeling of being alive at this stage in your life. The narrative as presented here is not easily digested, which is by design, but taken as a whole there is a strange beauty to the vulnerability shown by all involved. At worst, Therapy Dogs might just send you down a nostalgic path of your own youthful indiscretions, but, if engaged with openly, it has the possibility of creating empathy for both the youth of today and your past self.

Video Quality

Therapy Dogs debuts on Blu-Ray featuring a lot of different material in varying degrees of quality. Without a doubt the movie itself and everything within it looks as technically excellent as it can look in high definition, but those looking for a pristine image should consider the source material. The more stable filming conditions can yield some pretty clear imagery, but a lot of this footage was shot very frantically or in very unenviable conditions with low lighting, chaotic handheld moments and more.

All of the footage used seems to be in the best shape possible given the quality of the camera used to film. Some of the planned interstitials look a bit more favorable with incredibly sleek and clear natural skin tones and detailed facial features. There is no evidence of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances of the sort. This can be attributed to the fact that Utopia has delivered a great encode and given the film plenty of room to breathe. I do not see how this could have been improved visually, and fans should be pleased by the experience.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a strong DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures this material perfectly. Dialogue is the main focus of the film, and it comes through as clearly as possible under the conditions in which it was filmed without being clipped by any competing sounds. The filmmakers do an admirable job of capturing their subjects and making sure all this information comes through with fine clarity. Even audio from older archival videos comes through pretty clearly given the source format.

The music and the score establish the mood of the film, and they are resolved well here as music often sleeks throughout the room. The chatter in the background of some of the gatherings provides a nice base texture to the proceedings. Ambient sounds from some of the environmental elements are precisely placed in the rear channels. The audio track is not pushed to the limit with this content, but it nonetheless proves to be an excellent sounding presentation for this feature. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for those who desire them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director/co-writer Ethan Eng, co-writer Justin Morrice and subjects Kevin Tseng and Kyle Peacock deliver a really fun commentary track in which they reflect on the making of the movie, provide very interesting details about the background of certain scenes, talk about the fallout from certain moments, what they have been up to since the movie and more. This exhibits all the camaraderie between them throughout.

Reunion – A Life After High School: A 21-minute piece in which Eng gathers several of the subjects for a “reunion” three years after the film was shot. The conversations captured are very vulnerable and interesting as you see where everyone has ended up at this point.

Ethan Eng Interview with Matt Johnson & Matt Miller: A nearly five-minute piece in which the filmmakers behind Blackberry talk to Eng about their history, how they changed their perspective and more.

Q&A From The Slamdance World Premiere: A 22-minute virtual Q&A with Ethan Eng, Justin Morrice and Kevin Tseng, along with some additional friends in the background. In this piece, they discuss how the project came together, the line between fiction and reality, what it was like making a movie with your friends, the feelings they have following the results of the film and more. This is a really solid addition to the set.

Trailers: This disc provides a nearly two-minute Slamdance trailer. There is also a three-minute trailer for Open Doom Crescendo.

Final Thoughts

Therapy Dogs is a really rewarding and inventive look at the inner-workings of the modern high school experience. While every school and friend group has something unique about them, there is something universal in the experiences of these burgeoning adults that really makes you reflect. For a first-time feature, the effort is truly impressive, but the work stands tall among all works in the documentary space. Utopia and Vinegar Syndrome have provided a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a welcome assortment of special features. If you appreciate a gritty, verite deep dive into an overlooked space as told by a member of said group, this will work well for you. Highly Recommended

Therapy Dogs is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Utopia and Vinegar Syndrome have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.