Mia Hoffman (Darcie Lincoln) has been completely vilified after changing her testimony on a murder case. Due to her changed report, a murderer went free. After the events she’s witnessed the experience of the trial she’s saddled with excruciating anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD. After reaching her limit, she decides to seek the help of a serious, last chance at health professional. Dr. Franklin Spitz (Sandy Batchelor) is a celebrity, super-rich, super-doctor. Supposedly he can cure anyone, and Mia hedges her bets on him being able to help her back to normal.

Mia arrives at the beautiful mansion style home where Dr. Spitz hosts his inpatient therapies, and is met with 3 other patients. Tony, (Kevin Interdonato), a tough mafia type fighting PTSD,  Doug, (Femi Houghton), a cop with anger management issues, and Brad, (Jamie Bacon), a drug-addicted troublemaker. They all immediately have their suspicions about Mia, and as Dr. Spitz begins her first course of treatments, his calm, charming exterior melts away. When he answered the door for Mia he was kind and lovely, nearly affectionate, but once they’re in the treatment room he begins pushing and prodding her to the very end of her limits. She immediately falls into a major panic attack as the 3 other patients and Dr. Spitz look on, unhelpful and unempathetic. Her symptoms and stress levels only deepen as Dr. Spitz convinces her that the three other men in the room are hallucinations — just part of her imagination. He’s gaslighting her, and she knows it, but his intensity and fierce presence prevent her from being able to defend herself.

Little by little, as Mia’s treatment progresses and she develops a friendship with Brad, she realizes that Dr. Spitz may be just as damaged as the rest of them. While he spends day after day of torturous “treatments” trying to convince them they’re hiding locked away secrets in their minds, he may be hiding a secret himself. A secret that will blow open the lives and minds of every single person in the house.

FALSE WITNESS doesn’t hold back in its portrayal of mental health issues. Intense and sometimes frightening therapeutic techniques are portrayed without any filter of subtlety, which throws the viewer off balance just as badly as Mia is thrown off balance by Dr. Spitz’ fervent and wild practices, accusations, and attitude. Dr. Spitz is like Patrick Bateman meets Dr. Loomis, if you can imagine both of those personalities turned up to about 15. Batchelor gives a dynamic performance that drives the beat of FALSE WITNESS. As a somewhat intimate ensemble piece, the performances of all 4 “patients” intertwine in subtle ways that help to maintain a heart in an otherwise intense film. Lincoln’s performance as Mia is remarkably off-balance, which is to say, it suits the character perfectly. Her wild swinging moods okay right into Dr. Spitz’ hands, and right into the story he’s trying to sell her on.

A word of warning to those of you who may have experienced inpatient treatments for severe mental health issues, FALSE WITNESS doesn’t hold back in pushing the limits of Mia’s triggers, which means it may push some of yours. There is also intense imagery involving death, suicide, crime, and abuse, which I think viewers should be prepared for before watching.

FALSE WITNESS takes a deep dive into a dark and frightening world of anxiety and memory repression. We all have secrets, even from ourselves, and FALSE WITNESS strips away the masks we all wear to hide our trauma.

6/10 stars