R-Rated thriller on Hulu brings the beloved dark side of the beloved comedian

By Robert Scucci
| Publishing 2 days ago

We all love Robin Williams for making our childhood magical with movies like Doubtfire, Patch Adams, and, my personal favourite, his portrayal of the happy-go-lucky, bubbly blue genie with a heart of gold Aladdin. When I was 14, I was able to witness Williams’ brilliant transformation from exuberant and wholesome animated to menacing and calculating when he decided to branch out into the thriller genre with 2002’s Picture one hour. Like many fans of Williams’ filmography, I was blown away by his portrayal of “Sy the Photo Guy,” a well-meaning stalker who is not necessarily a villain, but rather a man who lives in complete isolation to the point where Acting incredibly out of pocket towards an unsuspecting family as a way to combat his loneliness.

What is most impressive about Sy Williams the picture guy is how hard it is to blame him for his problematic behavior throughout Picture one hour Because he is such a sympathetic character that he is isn’t it. What’s more, when Sy’s behavior escalates to the point where he commits unspeakable acts, you still feel bad for him because it’s clear he doesn’t know any better.

Sy is not the hero, he is just the main character

Picture one hour Centers on the life of Seymour “Sy” Parrish, a lonely photo technician who works for the big box retailer, Savmart. Known for his obsessive attention to detail, SY takes pride in his work because developing a film that includes his clients’ family moments is something he does not take lightly. In Sy’s mind, photography immortalizes the happy moments that people don’t want to forget.

After all, when a house burns down, the first thing people try to recover is their collection of pictures, according to Sy.

Through Sy’s narratives, he announces that people don’t go to other stores like Rexall or Fotek because their technicians don’t care about the craft as much as he does. SY processes his customer’s photos as if they were his own in just an hour, and his customers love how committed he is to his job, which he considers an essential public service.

The Yorkin family

Outside of his job in Picture one hourSy leads an empty life, and his social awkwardness keeps him from forming any meaningful relationships. Desperate to feel like he belongs, Sy clicks on the Yorkin family. Although it’s never specifically stated, SY is clearly in love with Nina Yorkin (Connie Nielsen), and always gives her special treatment when she drops off rolls of film she needs. develop.

When Nina first stops at the Savmart with her son, Jake (Dylan Smith), SY expresses affection by giving the boy a free camera for his birthday, which is against company policy, and one of the many awkward advances he makes towards the Yorkins.

Sy is fascinated with the Yorkins because he sees them as the ideal family he never had. However, SY doesn’t just do nicely in a professional setting Picture one hourwhich is made clear when we get a glimpse of his home life. Living alone in his flat with only his hamster for company, Sy has an entire wall of his home decorated with photos of the Yorkins on various family outings, and has vivid fantasies that placed in their family.

Picture one hour Sees Sy’s behavior escalate as he goes from making innocent chit chat with the Yorkins at work to following them around town in an attempt to feel some sort of human connection with a family that is completely indifferent to his existence for nothing another reason than the fact He is their picture guy at the Savmart and they have a life of their own.

Nina notices Sy’s loneliness when he follows her to the center and pretends that their meeting is coincidental, and as far as she knows, it is. When he sits next to Nina and talks about how he imagines her family referring to him as “Uncle Sy,” he chokes up and lets out an awkward laugh that would make anyone feel bad for the guy

Things get out of hand quickly

Behavior that Picture one hour Becomes increasingly inconsistent, and gets a little too close for comfort with the Yorkins as the film progresses. Stealing family photos (for years) is an egregious act in itself, but when his fantasies and outbursts begin to affect his professional life, eventually Sy goes off the deep end despite his good intentions. Watching his ideal, imaginary life bleed into his reality is truly heartbreaking, even though he is clearly in the wrong, because all Sy wants is to feel loved and appreciated for his acts of kindness .

One hour picture streaming

Picture one hour is a difficult watch because Robin Williams‘Performance makes you want to see the picture man find happiness, but he’s gone too far to make you really want to root for him. Like I said, he’s a sympathetic character until he’s not. It’s easy to infer that his affection for the Yorkin family comes from a dark, lonely and hopeless place, but he crosses too many boundaries to make them ever feel the same way about him.

If you want to see the late, great Robin Williams treat you to care about Sy the picture guy despite his problematic behavior, you can stream Picture one hour on Hulu at the time of this writing.