The Crowded Room was inspired by the true story of Billy Milligan, the first rapist and robber judged to suffer from clinical insanity after claiming to have a multiple-personality disorder (currently called dissociative identity disorder, or DID), now known as dissociative identity disorder.
The first person acquitted of federal offenses by pleading insanity, Tom Holland’s Danny Sullivan offers viewers the most tortured, versatile, and personal glimpse into his acting talent thus far. Suffice it to say, enthusiasts of Tom Holland’s fan-favorite former Spider-Man role were stunned by this complex, emotional, and brilliant turn.
Enthusiasts of Holland’s admirable portrayals of Peter Parker’s lone vigilante, especially 2022’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, have no idea what they’re in for. The gut-wrenching juxtapositions between his struggle for sanity against his darker self leave viewers in awe. Danny’s personalities – Ariana (Sasha Lane), Yitzak (Lior Raz), Jonny (Levon Hawke), Mike (Sam Vartholomes), and Jack (Jason Isaacs) – all provide incredible insight and supporting emotional anchor for Holland.
Where Lies the Sleeper?
A victim of sexual abuse, Danny develops protective personalities or alternate selves. This is specifically addressed within the series later as being a fundamental side-effect of such personal trauma and a peculiar way that certain developing minds cope. Holland’s fragmented Sullivan first appears to concretely manifest these ‘alt’s after a blackout in prison, whereupon the predominate three – Ariana, Jack, and Mike – decide that it’s time to take action.
From here on out, the show can drag a bit as exposition becomes dutifully dispersed for fans to spoon in and remember later. However, as Holland reveals more and more of his inner turmoil, his inner personality begins to warp, and fans are rewarded with a Fight Club-esque mystery, frantically building toward the question of what is real and what isn’t. What is fact, and what is fiction?
Fact Versus Fiction
The story of The Crowded Room was indeed inspired by real-world occurrences. But that’s where the similarities end, for the dramatic intrigue of Manhattan in the production has replaced the small town near Ohio State University where the real-life Milligan was taken down by a SWAT team member posing as a pizza boy. During the metamorphosis from a dramatic event that dominated the press in the late 70s and early 80s, facts and names had to be altered to protect all parties involved.
While the real-life Milligan was on his way to his anticipated third victim and exhibited around 24 distinct alternate personality projections, Tom Holland’s dramatic and difficult role of Danny Sullivan has been sufficiently paired-down. In other words, just because the real Milligan was acquitted doesn’t mean Danny Sullivan’s Crowded Room holds no surprises. Fans were delighted with the reveal of a plot twist that no viewer could have anticipated.
Although Amanda Seyfried’s character Rya Goodwin is completely fabricated, there were indeed female psychiatrists who inspired her character and evaluated then diagnosed Milligan, including Dr. Dorothy Turner, who spent a considerable amount of time with him and was the first to suspect he might be suffering from multiple personality disorder. Later in the series, Danny Sullivan (and his real-life counterpart Billy Milligan) were both studied by famed psychologist Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, who was known for her analysis of renowned schizophrenic sufferer Sybil Dorsett.
The Great Divide
Rotten Tomatoes scores the series at a general 1.5 out of 5, quite a subpar turnout. However, this vastly contradicts the overall audience reaction as well as critical reception – scoring Holland’s performance at a 4.4 out of 5.
Why the mammoth-sized discrepancy? A high-concept, high-patience for high-payout, meditative show, The Crowded Room perhaps didn’t resonate against other powerhouses on Apple TV+, or perhaps critics unfairly pitted Tom Holland in his older role as the more fun Spider-Man.
It takes a second to be able to move past Tom, a rather charismatic and outgoing public figure, and the actor playing the “weirdo,” or at least the potential killer. Yet once this is accomplished, tormented Danny Sullivan is as believable and intoxicating as any role Holland has tackled.
What the fascinating, dark, and sometimes unnerving story reveals about identity disorder is the capacity of afflicted humans to forge ahead. Critical reception has been tepid, but fan response has been ecstatic regarding the hallucinatory, dream-like quality of the sound design and character interaction. Who is real? Who isn’t? In particular, many pointed to a scene where Danny tried to procure a gun for Ariana as a turning point in both the tension and dramatic evolution of the series.
Ultimately, Tom Holland has made a brave if fool-hardy effort to dispatch with the web shooters and adopt a new team, and they aren’t the Avengers. With critics and fans disagreeing over the value, content, and individual art of the series, this controversial show leaves only one question: why aren’t you watching it to decide for yourself?
