Young Couple Faces OCD Diagnosis In SXSW Film Pure O [EXCLUSIVE CLIP]

Screen Rant presents an exclusive clip from the SXSW premiere Pure O, a touching film about how one musician’s life unravels after an ODC diagnosis.

The 2023 SXSW Film Festival has prepared a powerful slate once again, and Screen Rant is proud to present an exclusive clip from one of its Narrative Feature Competition entries: Pure O. Written and directed by Dillon Tucker, Pure O tells the semi-autobiographical story of one man’s internal struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder and the external effects it has on his loved ones. The film stars Daniel Dorr (20th Century Woman), Hope Lauren (The Republic of Sarah), Landry Bender (Fuller House), and Jeffery A. Baker.

Pure O follows Cooper Ganz (Dorr), an aspiring screenwriter and musician whose story is inspired by Tucker’s own life. His ambitions begin to crumble after he is diagnosed with a rare form of OCD known as “Pure Obsessional.” Though he is going through the darkest moment of his life, he fights to keep himself together for the sake of his fiancée Emily (Lauren), his family, and his friends. It is one of several SXSW premieres that tackle serious issues with nuance and care.

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More About Pure O’s Premiere at SXSW

Screen Rant‘s exclusive clip from Pure O sees Cooper and Emily cuddling on the couch before he reveals that he has finally received his diagnosis. While they were both under the impression that he was suffering from depression before this, Cooper explains that he has been told he has OCD instead. While neither can quite wrap their head around that fact, seeing as he exhibits no compulsive behaviors, Emily promises him that they will face the illness together.

Pure obsessional obsessive-compulsive disorder is a rare but real type of OCD that takes place primarily within a person’s head, leading to intrusive thoughts and urges that aren’t necessarily accompanied by visible physical compulsions. While Cooper is working his way through this crisis, he’s also working as a counselor at a drug rehab center, much like Tucker himself was at the time. Pure O charts how, by helping others, he was able to help himself as well. While this is his directorial feature debut, Tucker previously co-wrote and starred in Gina Cassavettes’ Love & Skin in 2013 as well as 2014’s Uneasy Lies the Mind.

Pure O debuts in the Narrative Feature Competition section of SXSW, alongside I Used To Be Funny, Mustache, Parachute, and more. Other exciting premieres at the festival include the long-awaited Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves; Evil Dead Rise, the next installment in the cult Evil Dead franchise; and the Eva Longoria-directed comedy, Flamin’ Hot.

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Pure O will have its world premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival on March 13 at Alamo Lamar D. It has a runtime of 118 minutes and is not yet rated.