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Therapist Reacts to THUNDERBOLTS*

Cinema Therapy

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How do you escape the void? What is shadow work?

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright react to Thunderbolts* and share how deeply it touched them. They talk about what it’s like to be in the void, they define shadow work, and they cry… a lot.

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Cinema Therapy is:
Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker, and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Corinne Demyanovich
Edited by: Nathan Judd
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis
Theme music by: Caleb Blood

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20 Comments

@CinemaTherapyShow Creator 1 year ago Pinned

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@jaminplays6724 1 year ago

We all joke about "the power of friendship" until we realize friendship is actually very powerful.

@marksutter182 1 year ago

I love that the solution for the film wasn't to kill the villain but to treat the illness with connection and friendship. Truly powerful.

@jacqueehebert9649 1 year ago

For those who say the hug was lazy writing, as someone who has depression, sometimes all we need is a group hug and someone to tell us it’s gonna be okay in the end.

@ramspretzel5967 11 months ago

"because you can't fix yourself by hating yourself" that made me look at the imaginary camera

@sunspencerr 1 year ago

I love at 21:30 how the Void LITERALLY removes Bob from his support system. He pushes them all away and is actually BEATING HIMSELF UP. And when Yelena hugs him, it lightens the weight of the Void just enough for the others to get out and run forward as well. Love this movie soso much

@VicktoryArtz 1 year ago (edited)

3 Themes came from 3 Superhero movies in 2025.

Superman: Be Kind
Fantastic Four: Love your Family
Thunderbolts: You are not alone.

People needed to hear these themes, now more than ever

@theallegedgenius 1 year ago

This movie felt like a much needed breath of fresh air. Sometimes, not everyone and not everything is going to be okay. And that's okay. ❤

@trinaq 1 year ago

I appreciated that Bob is still grappling with his mental illness at the end, and that he's not miraculously cured. He's in a better place emotionally, and has a secure support system, so there's an element of hope.

@BleydTorvall 1 year ago

One of my favorite things about Red Guardian is that while he clearly loves the fame and fortune that can come from being a super hero, he proves again and again that he loves the actual acts of heroism too. He misses the glory, but he also misses helping people and being needed. He gets energized from learning that his daughter is in trouble and being the only one who can help her. The idea of being a hero again brings him absolute joy, and the smile on his face when he saves the little girl from falling debris is completely genuine. It is so common for a hero to have to be completely humble or for anyone who enjoys the glory to not actually care about the people being saved, but Red Guardian is a rare example of someone who can enjoy both.

@romiplayer5706 10 months ago

During the ending, I love that Yelena escapes her own torture by trying to reach and help Bob. It's such a great analogy for how helping others can sometimes help you get out of a negative mindspace. And it just ties so beautifully into the whole theme of loneliness vs connection

@Shancusangel 1 year ago

My absolute favorite little detail is Alexei telling Yelena that when she walked into a room she made it brighter. Then later when she's in the Void with Bob and she reaches out to him, the window in the back gets a little brighter and let's more light into the room.

@manjimagupta9509 1 year ago

I think it's also so beautiful and important that Bucky was the one who said "this isn't right" when they were watching bob hit the void. his work in therapy in TFATWS made him grow into someone who was at a later stage in his healing but could also immediately spot how WRONG what was happening was

@CJGsquared 1 year ago

Yelena's conversation with her dad makes me cry every dang time, no matter how many times I watch it

@fayepolson5906 1 year ago

This movie broke me. I deal with chronic depression and I feel very alone. When they all wrap themselves around Bob I sobbed, because I couldn't think of anyone who would do that for me. I cried so much that the next day I had sandpaper eyes.

I appreciate your comments about reaching out to love others - I have been trying to figure out how I generate community. That's a real actionable step.

I've watched quite a few reactions, and it's the people who haven't had to wrestle with depression that don't get its impact. But the ones who have, they get it.

@MegaVGmaster 11 months ago

26:20 something to add here. It also ticks me off when people are like "Where’s my angry hulk? I want aggressive smashy hulk." Banner is finally working on his mental health and alll people want is for him to relapse.

@garthTurningCranks 1 year ago

Bucky in the Void: "I'm fine, I had a great past, I'm totally fine."

@jaclynkiszczak230 1 year ago (edited)

For the scene with Bob beating up the void, I love that Yelena just hugs Bob. She doesn't try to stop him from hitting the void. She just hugs him. He has to choose to stop. I noticed after watching a couple times that Bob hesitates to hit the void again right before Walker grabs him. Walker stops him by grabbing his arm and then Bob grabs onto him and stops hitting the void on the ground. This entire team of actors did a beautiful job!