They found the right mix: one false move in any direction and the tone could have gone off the rails into hopeless Hallmark-channel schmaltz, r incomprehensible chaos. Amazingly, Frederick and Vignone masterfully created a moving film that pulls no punches while compassionately exploring life with mental illness.

It is a heartwarming story of family, relationships, and self-discovery while talking about bipolar disorder and driving audiences’ attention towards how important mental wellness is

Grabs your heart and won’t let go, Tanna Frederick plays [her] meaty role with a wonderful authenticity… An important movie supporting mental health awareness.

A treasure of a film, buoyed by killer performances by Tanna Frederick and Tom Bower.

Delivers a profound message about the power of family and the possibility of triumph…

Gritty, real performances…
A heartwarming family drama.

It is a story of broken people and broken relationships. It is also a story of healing and new life.
The characters are treated with compassion and acceptance. The real focus of the film is restoration of relationships. We don’t see all healing in the broken relationships, but we do see it in some of them. (That allows us to extrapolate that others will heal as well.) The film also serves to make us aware of the ways mental issues like bi-polar disorder may be the cause of some of the rifts in people’s lives, and that with treatment, those damaged relationship may be mended

The most entertaining films can also sympathetically highlight life’s most vital lessons. That’s certainly the case with the new relatable drama, ‘Two Ways Home,’ which masterfully showcases the importance of mental wellness and self-discovery

“Two Ways Home” is a low-key indie drama about family history, personal failures, mental health and redemption. Beautifully shot, empathetically-acted and reasonably well-written, it benefits from that essential ingredient that makes or breaks many a low-budget independent film — a sense of place.

“…performed by an Iowa-centric cast — makes for a thoughtful, warm journey back to a place a lot of Americans will recognize, even those of us who moved away.

Moreover, the contrast between the emotional distress and the idyllic Iowa landscapes that punctuate the family interaction adds impact, a reminder that mental struggles occur in every environment—city or farm, with young or old, of any ethnicity and class.

This film goes deep into a topic that’s often not spoken about publicly, the shame, the shadows, the whispers, and the suffering are all fully exposed. The cinematography that captures the peaceful Iowa countryside most definitely adds to the production. Add it to your watch list now.
The inspiration for Two Ways Home sprung from personal places for all the filmmakers. A labour of love on the part of the cast and crew, they were dedicated to making a story of depth and subtlety that revolves around a character who wrestles with the need for connection with her family, and the disconnect from her wavering mental health

The film offers an uncomplicated, unpatronising portrait of a community that rarely gets celebrated in mainstream film.

Though truths about the bipolar condition are woven into the story, nobody stops to read out any manifestos or summarize any pages from the medical manuals.
A decent, low-key drama that might do a little good in the world.