In 2013, Jadin Bell, a 15-year-old in La Grande, Oregon, committed suicide after the horrific bullying he endured because he was gay. The film, which premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, certainly does just that-though the way it wields that club, like other films at this year’s virtual event, raises some concerns along the way. G ood Joe Bell is the kind of film in which everything from the screenplay to the performances and the story that it’s based on are all melted together in some cinematic blacksmith’s shop to forge a sledgehammer specifically meant to pummel your heart into pieces.
