Jon (Domnhall Gleeson) craves the enlightenment of unique inspiration. Sitting alone with his keyboard, he can only sing of the objects that fill his room or the grocery bags of strangers on the beach. Frustrated with his shallow persona, John walks along the beach aimlessly, in search for an epiphany.

Then he meets the Soronprfbs, a band as senseless as its name. Drawn into its world of sporadic, screeching sounds and behavior, Jon feels certain that the Soronprfbs work at an intellectual level, extremely superior to his own. The supreme master of this so-called elevated emotional and intellectual state of consciousness is Frank (Michael Fastbender), a man whose body from his neck and above is always covered by an artificial plastic head. Frank never takes off his head, not even to sleep, eat, or shower.

Jon lives with the Soronprfbs, hoping that its inspiration will rub off on him, all the while tweeting about the band and gaining a constantly growing fan base. Jon, in his sincere admiration for Frank and the band, truly believes that the public will love its music. He persuades Frank to put on a show and inserts his own knowledge of popular music into Frank’s songs to tone down the severity of the bizarre cacophony that is its music. Jon starts to lose himself to greed and imperious tendencies. It is him, not Frank, who reaches stardom. In a way, Jon achieves his initial goal; he is popular and, to him, his popularity is a sign that he is unique, purposeful and valuable. But Jon wins all this happiness at the expense of Frank’s serenity.

Frank is a movie that brilliantly emphasizes the importance of perception; depending on his audience, Frank could be a genius, a joke, an object of exploitation, or a mentally ill man. Who are we to say that he can’t be all four? Frank brings up the controversial topic of mental healthcare. Director Lenny Abrahamson and writer Jon Ronson argue through Frank’s experiences, that the best place for Frank to live with his illness is with those who appreciate and encourage his eccentricities and symptoms. He should not be in a hospital where his peculiarities would be suppressed or in the public world where they would be condemned and mocked.

 Frank asks confusing questions with no intention of answering them for you. Watch it. See if you can find the answers.