A deeply felt, very genuine film. It deals with alcoholism, family and emotional scars. And every moment of the movie feels authentic and lived in. And so well done! Acting, writing, directing. This is a truly affecting story. A real triumph.
20 Reviews
A very good drama. Must see
johnapplebee-9594728 January 2019
I'm glad I stumbled across this indie gem. Through the death of there mother a family has to come together to discuss some old wounds that needs to be addressed in order to start the healing process. Direction, acting and quality of the film was done well.
Truthful and Authentic Storytelling.
michael-gz11 February 2019
A very powerful and poignant story that gently touches the heart to the inner core. We need more stories of self awareness and redemption like 'Sincerely Brenda,' that are truthful and authentic in it's storytelling, rather than the watered downed versions that are currently out there. Definitely a worthy independent film to watch. Thumbs up.
Slow start but glad I made it through
ericjzambrano29 January 2019
I am a lover of a good indie film. The real ness, the emotion, the beauty in its simplicity are always amazing. But sometimes the acting and low budget can be off putting. This movie had a slow start but it picked up after the introduction of young Donovan. The story and passion from the actors were top notch for indie films, acting was average, lack of a big budget was obvious but the cinimatograpohy, coloring, editing, and general shot selection was very well done.
Needs some work
mikestanhope3 March 2023
A friend mine suggested I watch this film. A friend no more. I am not sure if I fell asleep or not during my viewing. The last time I entered such a mindless state, I was on a Vedic retreat practicing tantric yoga for a week straight. The cinematography was actually quite good and some of the actors definitely have talent, but I am convinced that whoever wrote and directed this is not yet old enough to vote. I mourn the money lost on producing this dumpster fire of a film. I wish all of the people involved in its creation the best, but whoever is responsible for leading the charge should consider a new career path. Sincerely, Mike Stanhope.
Excellent family drama !
WatcherOfTheSkies7773 August 2019
An emotional journey powered by great acting convincing dialogue and a story that is powerful but also extremely real and relatable. Sincerely, Brenda is made with a lot of love, skill and confidence and absolutely deserves to be seen. It's a riveting tale !
Swayed but Reviews
artisansworks-9207531 December 2019
Swayed by reviews, we watched this film and lost hours of our lives we won't get back. In reflection, it was a good story, but I found myself arguing with casting, dialogue -even sets, throughout the film. It is painfully slow, forgivable if you deliver, but it didn't.
Powerful and Touching
barondarw28 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't expecting to be touched in so many ways with this film. I genuinely felt so many emotions from watching Sincerely Brenda. It covers area of grief, love, self medicating/alcohol abuse, learned behaviors from childhood that affect us today, hope and of course Forgiveness. Excellent film.
In a word: BAD
splarmish14 April 2023
There comes a time in every man's life when he needs to create an IMDB account and tell his story. This is my time. I stumbled upon Sincerely Brenda on Pluto TV when I had friends over. I kid you not, they left my home 15 minutes in. I, however, was captivated. Surely a movie with this production quality couldn't be this unwatchable? I insisted on watching the whole thing, maybe because I hate myself, but definitely because something wouldn't let me stop. The writing is so terrible and the lines so cliche, but the actors are so invested and the cinematography is not bad. I'm just not sure how anyone read this script and decided to invest even a penny in the production of this film. If groaning and eye rolling gets you going, my all means head over to Pluto TV and cue up Sincerely Brenda. If you're looking for a powerful film about being black in America, look literally anywhere else.
Excellent Tearjerker
bohemianpirate-871-38348717 February 2019
Congrats to the team behind this one. Incredible performances by all. I was deeply moved by this film. From the beginning I was drawn into this story and really taken with the depth of the storytelling here. It's intimate and intricate, dealing with a very difficult subject with truth and grace. Bravo! Get the Kleenex and get to watching this. Excellent film.
Heartfelt story!
knikki3228 July 2019
Inspiring film
shavsingleton23 April 2020
Inspiring film that shares a powerful story of forgiveness and reconciliation...apart from it being a real story that every family can relate to - this indie film was well produced, well written and brought to life by a great team of actors and actresses. Great film that will provoke, challenge and offer hope!
Powerful film about loss, pain, and forgiveness
JGReviews8 February 2019
Sincerely, Brenda is about a family coming together after the death of their mother/wife. The film follows the father, a recovering alcoholic, who tries to reconcile with his estranged sons after a troubled time in his life when he wasn't really there for them. Sincerely, Brenda is a very well executed film, particularly for an indie film. I watch a lot of independent films and a lot of times you have to look past flawed technical elements, but Sincerely Brenda has very high end cinematography (I say this as a cinematographer myself), a touching score, and good acting and directing. From looking at his IMDB profile, it seems that this might be the director's first film, which makes this quite an accomplishment. I found Sincerely, Brenda to be a powerful film about loss, pain, and forgiveness that I would recommend to anyone.
Heartfelt performances by a talented cast
pz-7216514 February 2019
Heartfelt performances by a talented cast in the gripping family story. This film tugs at the heart from beginning to end. All the characters are relatable and you feel for all of them. Excellent indie drama, brake out the tissues for this two thumbs up film...
Expertly-Told Family Addiction Story
TheAll-SeeingI9 February 2019
Kenneth R. Nelson Jr. confronts themes of addiction and the absence of childhood with a supremely delicate touch and an immense sense of depth in his wonderful and emotional family drama Sincerely, Brenda.
The film delivers us to the scene of a broken, scattered family brought to a shared space once again by the death of a mother. The fresh wound of death is then compounded as old wounds open up among the survivors. Brutal at times in its honest depictions of alcoholism as a pervasive and horrific family disease, Nelson goes places in his film that are often neglected or considered too wrenching in big-screen portrayals of the insidious nature of the addiction. It helps that he completely nails his casting, as the actors here deliver spot-on portrayals of those swept up in the pain of a family's collapse, channeling a level of hurt often obscured by high sheen in this film's major studio counterparts. We are there with these characters as Nelson masterfully evolves the story to weave in themes of acceptance and forgiveness.
Expertly written, this is a director/screenwriter who knows exactly what he's doing throughout; the acting, the cinematography, and the edit itself are seamless and fully realized, allowing the story to welcome in and immerse the viewer without distraction. To its end, Sincerely, Brenda is a film that offers both pain and reward in its complexity, and lends itself to a wide audience as a direct result of its high-level treatment of a family situation all too familiar to many.
The film delivers us to the scene of a broken, scattered family brought to a shared space once again by the death of a mother. The fresh wound of death is then compounded as old wounds open up among the survivors. Brutal at times in its honest depictions of alcoholism as a pervasive and horrific family disease, Nelson goes places in his film that are often neglected or considered too wrenching in big-screen portrayals of the insidious nature of the addiction. It helps that he completely nails his casting, as the actors here deliver spot-on portrayals of those swept up in the pain of a family's collapse, channeling a level of hurt often obscured by high sheen in this film's major studio counterparts. We are there with these characters as Nelson masterfully evolves the story to weave in themes of acceptance and forgiveness.
Expertly written, this is a director/screenwriter who knows exactly what he's doing throughout; the acting, the cinematography, and the edit itself are seamless and fully realized, allowing the story to welcome in and immerse the viewer without distraction. To its end, Sincerely, Brenda is a film that offers both pain and reward in its complexity, and lends itself to a wide audience as a direct result of its high-level treatment of a family situation all too familiar to many.
BRAVO! Expertly Executed
stewie-2224726 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I found that "Sincerely Brenda" touches on the sensitive, familiar and painful topic of alcoholism. In some way or another we have all, unfortunately, been affected by the disease whether it be directly or indirectly. The director Kenneth Nelson expertly executed and portrayed the struggles of not only alcoholism and the ability it has to tear a family apart, but also the death of the matriarch which ultimately brings a fractured family back together. Although this isn't a novel I am hosting a movie night with my bookclub as there is much to discuss after watching.
An easy 10 Start rating
craigahrens3 June 2019
I was wondering why this film was "5" Stars over at Amazon Prime??? How many films do you see that have a 5 Star rating? Okay, sure you can say they got all their friends and family on board to write reviews. But, where are the haters that hate just because that's what they do. Well even the haters can't hate on this film because it's that bloody good. Great acting, terrific story and a director who knew what they were doing. Well, here are my 5 Stars!! Well folks!!
Amazing storytelling
antonioferrentino-4016413 February 2019
Beautiful and impactful movie about the importance of family and fogiveness. All its parts work perfectly in balance to deliver a masterful storytelling, from the inspired cinematography to the emotional soundtrack, from the believable acting to the realistic screenplay. I definitely suggest watching it, a hidden gem among indie movie-making!
Moving and affecting
Phil_Chester12 February 2019
Beautifully observed and beautifully made. Some lovely ensemble acting on show in this touching indie revelation. These characters really feel like your own friends and family, making the film genuinely moving and affecting. Although it's an intense watch, it's well worth it.
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