Sci-Fi Film Sparks Critical Conversations on Relationship Abuse
By Hannah Rumsey and Helen Quinn Pasin
The Last Drop is a gripping 40-minute sci-fi film about relationship abuse inspired by the memories of real survivors. Much like an episode of Black Mirror, this project tackles the nuanced social issue of abuse with a creative twist.
The story is told through the lens of Sofía, a young woman using a fictional memory-machine to relive shared experiences with her boyfriend, Anthony. What begins as a journey through romantic memories, shifts when Anthony starts to manipulate these shared memories in his favor, revealing the disturbing disconnect between his version of reality and Sofía’s—the truth.
One unique aspect of this film is the fact that it’s a new kind of abuse movie where no one gets hit. Instead, The Last Drop illustrates how the lesser-known forms of abuse build up gradually, like a slow drip. As the audience journeys alongside Sofía, she begins to recognize the subtle signs of emotional abuse, isolation, and digital abuse that have quietly infiltrated her relationship. Friends, loved ones, and passions begin disappearing from her memories. As she notices her life shrinking down around her, she must summon the courage to escape Anthony's grasp before he can distort her reality any further and isolate her completely.
The film’s Writer/Director, Adam Joel, is a survivor of abuse himself. He opens his TEDx talk on Relationship Safety with a thought-provoking question: "Which do you think is more likely to hurt you? A car crash or a relationship?"
For many, the obvious answer would appear to be a car crash, given the millions of driving safety measures in our society, like stop signs, airbags, and driver’s education. However, Adam points out a stark reality: in the U.S. alone, relationship abuse causes a staggering 10 million injuries per year, more than tripling the 3 million yearly injuries from car crashes.
While dangerous driving is easily recognizable in public, signs of abusive relationships often remain hidden until individuals find themselves in life-threatening danger. This disparity underscores a pressing need for the addition of Relationship Safety training in our schools, homes, jobs, and legal system. Adam emphasizes the need to expand our definitions of abuse to recognize the often-overlooked forms such as manipulation, digital abuse, financial abuse, and isolation tactics that often have a long-lasting impact on the lives of survivors.
In Adam’s personal experience, what began as a sweet high school romance gradually soured as his partner grew increasingly jealous of anyone and anything that brought him joy. Hours-long silent treatments broken by targeted guilt-trips or verbal attacks became routine, yet he clung to a toxic belief perpetuated by romance movies—that being in love meant it was his job to constantly ensure her happiness—“no matter what.” Hiding the darker aspects of their relationship, he blocked friends on his phone to evade her anger, feigned illness to cancel any plans that upset her, and slowly but surely, allowed his world to revolve around her demands. Much like the protagonist of his sci-fi film, Sofía, Adam gradually saw his loved ones disappearing around him as he tried to preserve the peace in his relationship. It wasn't until after a tumultuous breakup and an emotional confession to his parents that he was told, for the first time, “that’s emotional abuse.”
“I never even heard the phrase ‘emotional abuse’ until after I’d already experienced it— for four years straight.”
He grappled with frustration and self-blame, until a fellow survivor, Amanda, reshaped his understanding when she said, “I didn't recognize the abuse in my own relationship until it matched what abuse looked like in the movies, and by then it was worst case scenario. I was getting hit in the face while holding my child.”
Amanda's revelation struck a chord with Adam, prompting him to question why mainstream media continually fails to educate and empower us on the lesser known forms of abuse that tend to show up before a relationship turns violent. Adam lamented the pervasive gap in Relationship Safety education, noting that many survivors, including himself, only identified abuse in hindsight. This revelation launched his commitment to advocacy, using film to raise awareness and prevent similar suffering in others. “No one should have to learn about abuse in hindsight,” he said.
The Last Drop was created over the course of four years, driven by a team of producers who are all survivors. The film's executive producers and advisory board consist of prominent leaders in abuse prevention, advocacy, education, and social work, such as the One Love Foundation and The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“My approach as a filmmaker is to show you a combination of movie examples and real stories to show you the lesser known forms of abuse, so you can learn to spot the signs and pump the brakes before a relationship turns violent,” said Adam in his TEDx talk.
The reaction to Adam’s film and his message has been quite extraordinary— he’s been hired to bring his insights on Relationship Safety to a diverse variety of groups ranging from judges and social workers to soldiers and high school students. He even spent Valentine’s Day with the Chicago Police Department, leading a workshop designed to reveal the hidden context of abuse cases that happen behind closed doors.
One campus safety officer from Oberlin College shared that The Last Drop has helped him to spot toxic or abusive behavior, changing the way he responds to crisis calls. After viewing the film, 95% of survey respondents say that the film helped them better understand the warning signs of dating violence and how to talk with young people about unhealthy relationships.
The impact of the film has been astounding, reaching over 100,000 people through community screening partnerships, and raising over $66,000 for nonprofits working in abuse prevention, mental health, and survivor resources. It has also launched as a teaching tool with the One Love Foundation, which has educated over 3 million people with in-person workshops.
Why now? The need for abuse prevention advocacy is more urgent than ever. According to the One Love Foundation, 1 in 3 men, over 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 2 trans/non-binary people experience relationship abuse in their lifetime. And intimate partner violence often begins in adolescence, with around 16 million women and 11 million men reporting their first experience of such violence before the age of 18. Notably, certain communities, particularly marginalized groups, face greater risks of experiencing sexual and physical dating violence due to underlying social and structural inequalities.
When it comes to relationship safety education and abuse prevention, it’s clear we need to do better. And that can begin with each one of us. Adam ends his TEDx Talk with an urgent call-to-action: "I'm calling on all the best educators, community leaders, legislators, parents, fierce friends, and more...The people in your life need a Relationship Safety Talk with people like you...”
“Abuse thrives in silence,” Adam says. “Let’s talk about it.”
You are invited to join the conversation on October 9!
The Last Drop will debut in a virtual screening and empowering event, with all proceeds benefiting the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The event will feature impactful remarks from high-profile speakers who are dedicated champions of the cause and will include a crucial relationship safety talk designed to equip the audience with key resources for ensuring safety and well-being.
Reserve tickets: icadv.eventbrite.com
