A documentary of incredible sadness yet important message, Robin’s Wish takes us into the final months of Robin Williams life, and in doing so reveals a beautiful soul and brilliant mind besieged by a crippling disease.  

Six years have passed since the death of Robin Williams, and the impact of his suicide still reverberates to this day. How could a man so talented, so successful, and who provided the world with such an abundance of laughter, could take his own life? After years of tabloid speculation and hearsay, the culprit has been named: Lewis Bodies disorder, a severe form of dementia that was little known when Williams passed away.

Robin’s Wish hopes to change all that. Directed by Tylor Norwood (The United States of Detroit), the film delves into the science of LBD, and how this neurological disease slowly crippled Williams’ mind, body, and spirit during the last years of his life. As such, Robin’s Wish is an educational and incredibly emotional film to watch, as friends, family, and neighbours from his close knit San Francisco community, talk about the impact Williams had on their lives, and how they witnessed his slow descent into the disease’s vice grip.

Of mention is Williams widow, Susan Schneider, who is on a mission not only to make the public aware of LBD, but help people understand Williams’ mindset during his last days. Several neurologists present the science of what is essentially an infestation of the brain, with neurons deteriorated with every passing day. The results are increasing paranoia, depression, and even hallucinations. Worst of all, it is irreversible. There is no magic pill that can cure this disease.

What makes this all particularly sad is the testimonials from those close to Robin, who describe not only the brilliant artist that he was, but a tremendously giving soul whose loyalty to his friends, and especially his work with charity and the military, provide intimate insight into the man behind the entertainer.

As the film ends and the credits role, a multitude of mixed emotions arise, ranging from how incredibly unfair this disease would befall such a kind and brilliant man, to how blessed we were to have him in our lives. Above all, Robin’s Wish is a rallying cry that when it comes to these forms of dementias, more needs to be done to understand and treat this bastard disease. LBD destroyed Robin Williams life, but it did not change his ever-evolving legacy.