Plot

Susannah Cahalan ( Moretz ) is the New York Post Writer, who works with her boss Richard ( Perry ) and desk neighbor and co-worker Margo ( Slate ). She then meets the sound producer named Stephen ( Mann ) and they become friends. From this point, Susannah begins experiencing strange things and her behavior becomes unusually erratic. After several days of mishaps, Susannah suffers a seizure in bed with Stephen on her side.

After consulting to the clinic, her father Tom ( Armitage ) confronts Stephen for not calling her parents about the incident. Tom suggests her to stay with her parents, but Susannah refuses, and when Stephen agrees, she orders her to leave the house. Susannah having a seizure once again. At the clinic, Susannah undergone the MRI and the doctor advises her mother, Rhona ( Moss ), not take any alcoholic drinks. She screams at the post office and turns suddenly turns into happy state. While at the her doctor’s appointment, Susannah thinks that she has a bipolar disorder , after she found on the internet, stating that the creative people are bipolar. The doctor prescribed her an anti-psychotic pills but she refused to take them after she read about her side effects. Rhona tells her to take these pills anyway and she did it. During their dinner, she unleashes her aggressive behavior. At this point, her parents want Susannah hospitalized for rehabilitation after their attending doctor release her MRI and EEG and physical test, which is all normal.

One of the hereditary causes of schizophrenia . The Susannah’s Doctor’s Testimonials are the most important thing to consider. From this point, Susannah becomes disabled. Susannah’s true condition, they called Dr. Souhel Najjar to deal with her. Najjar states that Susannah’s drawing of a clock on the paper means that she does not suffer bipolar and schizophrenia. Najjar has her undergo a brain biopsy to take the cells from her brain for diagnosis. It is found that it has an anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and Najjar describes the disease as “brain on fire.”

Seven months later, Susannah is back at work and presents her first writing to Richard since her recovery. A grateful Richard tells her to start writing a book about her entire life. Sitting at her desk, she begins to compose the story, entitled Brain on Fire .

Cast

• Chloë Grace Moretz as Susannah Cahalan , ^[2] a young woman who one day wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the events of the previous months.
• Jenny Slate as Margo, ^[3] a friend and co-worker.
• Thomas Mann as Stephen, ^[3] Cahalan’s boyfriend
• Tyler Perry as Richard, ^[4] Cahalan’s boss at the New York Post
• Carrie-Anne Moss as Rhona Nack, ^[5] Calahan’s mother
• Richard Armitage as Tom Cahalan, ^[5] Cahalan’s father
• Alex Zahara as Allen
• Jenn MacLean-Angus as Giselle

Production

On May 1, 2014, Deadline reported that Charlize Theron had acquired the film rights to the Susannah Cahalan’s 2012 memoir Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness . ^[6] Chloe Grace Moretz was set to play Cahalan, a young woman who has a day in a hospital with no memory of the events of the previous month. ^[6] [7] Theron would produce along with Beth Kono and AJ Dix through her Denver and Delilah Productions . ^[6] On January 22, 2015, Gerard Barrett was set to write and direct the adaptation, while Rob Merilees of Foundation would also produce and finance the film. ^[8] London-based Mister Smith Entertainment sold the film to international distributors at 2015 Berlin Film Festival . ^[9] Will Poulter was added to the cast on February 4, 2015, to play the boyfriend of Cahalan. ^[10] On May 26, 2015, Thomas Mann and Jenny Slate were reportedly in talks to join the film, where Mann would play Cahalan’s boyfriend, replacing Poulter. ^[3] On June 26, 2015, it was announced that Dakota Fanning left the project due to scheduling issues, and Chloë Grace Moretz replaced her for the lead role. ^[2] On July 7, 2015, It was announced that Broad Green Pictures was the first film to be released in the United States, while Lindsay Macadam would also produce Merilees. ^[11] On July 16, 2015, Carrie-Anne Mossand Richard Armitage were cast as Cahalan’s parents, Rhona Nack and Tom Cahalan, respectively. ^[5] On July 20, 2015, Tyler Perry joined the film to play Richard, Cahalan’s boss at the New York Post . ^[4] [11] On July 16, 2015, Carrie-Anne Moss and Richard Armitage were cast as Cahalan’s parents, Rhona Nack and Tom Cahalan, respectively. ^[5] On July 20, 2015, Tyler Perry joined the film to play Richard, Cahalan’s boss at the New York Post . ^[4] [11] On July 16, 2015, Carrie-Anne Moss and Richard Armitage were cast as Cahalan’s parents, Rhona Nack and Tom Cahalan, respectively. ^[5] On July 20, 2015, Tyler Perry joined the film to play Richard, Cahalan’s boss at the New York Post . ^[4]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on July 13, 2015 in Vancouver , British Columbia . ^{[12] [11] [5]} Moretz was spotted filming at the Vancouver General Hospital . ^[13] On July 18, Moretz was filming a scene of a taxicab and the Vancouver street was transformed into Manhattan . ^[14] Production on the film concluded on August 10, 2015. ^[15]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2016. ^[16] [1] Shortly after, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film. ^[17]

References