That was an excellent one.

Lack of good storyline.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The storyline had a good concept, and the point they were trying to get across was good, but, as excited as I was at first to watch this, I have to say this was a very ridiculous movie.Dawn's reaction to the cutting was ridiculous. Coming from someone who used to do these things, I can just say that her emotions were over done and totally inappropriate for this. Unless she's a masochist or being possessed by a demon, the expressions and reactions she was making were terrible and not even a proper response to the cutting. She extremely over exaggerated everything. The writers over exaggerated the image of self-harmers as well. This movie makes them appear to be some sort of psycho, cry baby freaks.As for the ending, I can't even begin to express how angry I was with it. They left so many things open and left for question. Does she quit cutting? Does her mom come home? You can't just end a movie with that many loose ends.The most realistic thing about this movie is how her parents reacted to it. Other than that, this storyline was so unrealistic, over exaggerated, and it is pretty offensive to people who have been through these things before.

As a cutter and one with mental health issues, I have been everything from disenchanted to outright offended by Hollywood portrayals of such conditions for the sole purpose of being entertaining and making money. Most films/shows about mental illnesses (and it's symptoms, like cutting) have done much more harm than good. Self injury remains today one of thee most stigmatized coping behaviors. I experienced the ridicule and shame at school that the main character experiences in this film. That was 24 years ago! In 24 years our culture has hardly moved forward at all. I went all of my adult life as an 'X'cutter..until my past caught up with me. Today I'm an adult cutter. Talk about UNHEARD of! It's not just a teenage thing. It is not uncommon for one with childhood abuse. Here's an example of a misunderstanding that persists from one of the commentators here: "how she acted on her psychotic tendencies to destroy her body". Cutting....is NOT psychotic. Do you know what psychotic means? Totally out of touch with reality. Insane. Episodes that schizophrenics have, or someone who is having a severely manic episode of bipolar. Seeing hallucinations, hearing voices outside your head. Those things are psychotic. But the inability to speak emotions and tolerate them...to the point of having to find an extreme coping mechanism like cutting, is not psychotic, it's resourceful. Down to it: Aside from other comments here from other cutters, which I shall respect as I don't speak for them all. I did not let myself get hung up on the 'quality' of acting...or seek to find fault with small details. I instead appreciated the fact that several myths about self injury were dispelled in this film. 1. Self injury is NOT suicide. In fact, it often prevents one from suicide. 2. It is NOT a ploy for attention. A large majority of SI'ers go out of their way to keep scars hidden. Whether they're personally ashamed of them or not, they know that others will shame them. 3. Self injury is NOT a behavior that one most could stop if they just wanted to badly enough. In fact, it can and does become repetitive. Whether because one actually becomes 'addicted' to a somewhat euphoric after state or...if just because it really does WORK to accomplish jolting one out of dissociated states, distracting from inner pain, letting out of anger...etc. If it works...you'll do it again. As I said, it is resourceful...i.e. useful. Most can and will only stop if other, better resources are made available first. Verbal communication, safe environment to express strong emotions, etc. and facing of the root pain. These are resources that they likely don't have or they wouldn't have started to begin with. So whether you liked the quality of acting or not...or thought the main character here was melodramatic about her immediate response to cutting...is beside the point. The film accomplished something no other has to my knowledge. It raised awareness and dispelled myths....and for that...as a cutter (NOT mutilator please, that's another myth)...I am grateful for any and all accurate information they did give here in this film. Is it short of the mark? Sure. But it's a lot closer. Now maybe someone will come out with one about adult survivors of CSA and show that cutting is not just a teenage thing. Maybe. Til then, I'll keep my sleeves down while I salute the makers of this film for their efforts.

As a recovering self injurer of eleven years, I had high hopes for this film. What could have been a film that brought awareness to this difficult issue, Secret Cutting was an over-dramatized mess. Dawn was portrayed as the friendless school loser, which is frankly a stereotype I'm tired of seeing. The thing about a lot of self injurers is that they can be the girl/guy next door, the very last person you would ever expect. Furthermore, the portrayal of the actual self injury was more like an addict shooting up heroin, and at times, Dawn seemed almost insane. People who self harm are not crazy, not suicidal, and are not rushed to the hospital every week for life threatening self inflicted injuries (excepting of course the most extreme cases). I can't be the only one who is tired of film makers taking the easy way out for the sake of the added drama. In the mean time, unless you're looking for some over the top theatrics, hold out for a time when someone who actually cares about the issue decides to make a real movie.

This is not the best of movies out there; but for a made for TV movie its about ten to one hundred steps better that a lifetime movie. I was forced to watch in my Psychology class and while most of the class was gasping or wincing I was laughing from the over acting. The only nearly decent actress was Rhea Pearlman from "Cheers" who plays the understanding psychologist. All in All it offers a good glimpse into the life of those who cut and if anyone out there thinks that people would not cause pain to themselves in that manner it is all too real.I digress. Ms. Petters delivers a melodramatic performance which is really what this movie is. The overall sense of this movie seems suited to the health classrooms or as a training film for teachers so they can spot those cutting.