In a world of 8 billion people, I’ve been lucky enough to meet the best of the best.
One of those people is my friend Sheila Mendelson.
When Sheila joined TOX as an executive producer, she introduced me to writer and director Kerri Lynn Miller.
I’ll always be grateful she did.
The moment I watched the trailer, it took my breath away.
Later that evening, at the White Party in New York City, with Sheila and Kerri in the room, we dimmed the lights and pressed play.
From the moment the trailer began, something extraordinary happened.
Forty women.
One room.
You could have heard a pin drop.
It was one of the most powerful moments I’ve experienced since founding Sober Is the New Cool.
I wasn’t watching the trailer anymore. I was watching the women.
Some leaned forward. Some quietly wiped away tears. Others never took their eyes off the screen.
No one reached for their phone. No one whispered. No one wanted the moment to end.
For those few minutes, 40 women were completely present. Every woman saw something different. Every woman felt something deeply personal.
That’s when I realized TOX was more than just a film.
Top left group pic: Wendy Behar, Jackie Sweeney, Megan Sweeney,
Ninette D’Amato, and Kim Bellas | Top middle: Margaret Colin and Kerri Lynn Miller.
Top right: Amy Player Smith, Kerri Lynn Miller, Sue Vorcheimer
Bottom left: Margaret Colin and Shelia Mendleson
Bottom middle: Pierre Romain, Kerri Lynn Miller, and Neil Grabowsky.
Bottom right: Julie Solinger, Kerri Lynn Miller, and Katrin Gratt.
It was opening hearts, giving people permission to see themselves differently, and beginning exactly the kind of conversation our world needs more of.
TOX isn’t a film about addiction. It’s a film about the many ways we search for worthiness: through beauty, perfection, alcohol, cosmetic procedures, success, validation, and the endless pursuit of becoming someone we think we’re supposed to be.
At its heart, it’s a story about wellness, self-worth, and discovering that perhaps the person we’ve been searching for has been there all along.
It reminded me that addiction can wear many different faces, but underneath them all is the same human desire: to feel worthy, accepted, and enough.
Imagine if we spent as much energy believing in ourselves as we do trying to perfect ourselves. Imagine the freedom in that.
As someone who has spent years encouraging conversations around wellness, I couldn’t stop thinking about the trailer. It challenged the way I looked at wellness itself. To me, wellness isn’t about perfection. It’s about authenticity, self-worth, and giving ourselves permission to stop chasing who we think we’re supposed to be and start embracing who we already are.
What makes TOX even more meaningful to me is knowing that Kerri Lynn Miller spent more than 10 years believing in this story before bringing it to the screen.
Think about that for a moment.
Ten years believing in a message. Ten years believing that conversations around wellness, self-worth, beauty, and addiction belonged together. Ten years believing that if even one person walked away seeing themselves with greater compassion, it would matter.
That’s courage. That’s perseverance. That’s hope.
A week later, I had the privilege of attending the private cast and crew screening in Montclair, New Jersey.
Witnessing the extraordinary performances of Margaret Colin, Ryan Cooper, Gracie McGraw, Alex Hernandez, and the remarkable ensemble cast, while seeing writer, director, producer, and lead actress Kerri Lynn Miller’s 10-year vision come to life, only deepened my appreciation for what they had created.
Every conversation I had that evening reinforced what I had already felt. This wasn’t simply a talented group of people making a film. They were part of something much bigger: a story created to open hearts, inspire hope, and remind us that perhaps the greatest transformation isn’t changing how we look. It’s changing how we see ourselves.
As the credits rolled, I found myself thinking back to those 40 women sitting together in complete silence at the White Party. The feeling was exactly the same.
Hope.
Hope that conversations like this will take place around dinner tables, in schools, workplaces, and among friends. Hope that more people will see wellness as something much deeper than appearances and stop chasing perfection in search of worthiness.
I’ve always believed that when people feel safe enough to be themselves, beautiful things happen. That’s what I witnessed at the White Party. That’s what I felt again in Montclair. And that’s why I believe TOX is so much more than a film.
Today, TOX is still waiting for the opportunity to reach the audience it deserves. My sincere hope is that it finds the right home, the right film festivals, the right distributor, and the right stage so people around the world can experience this remarkable story.
Because this isn’t simply a film that deserves to be seen. It’s a conversation that deserves to be shared.
I believe it has the power to encourage people to see themselves, and one another, with greater compassion. To remind us that wellness begins with self-worth. To inspire hope where shame has too often existed. And to help us realize that maybe the person we’ve been searching for has been within us all along.
If one trailer could leave 40 women sitting in complete silence, imagine what this story could do for the world.
By Contributor: Kim Bellas, Founder, Sober is the New Cool
SOBRIETY IN THE CITY – NYC: Sober Is the New Cool White Party Brings Women Together for Connection, Wellness, and Hope
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What is the movie TOX about?
TOX is a psychological drama about a perfection-obsessed woman who, after years of plastic surgery, returns to her high school reunion to confront the past that scarred her. The film explores perfectionism, body dysmorphia, addiction, and the search for self-worth.
Who wrote and directed TOX?
Kerri Lynn Miller wrote, directed, produced, and stars in TOX, her feature directorial debut. She spent more than 10 years developing the story. Her acting credits include FBI: Most Wanted and The Blacklist.
Who is in the cast of TOX?
TOX stars Kerri Lynn Miller as Catherine, with Margaret Colin, Gracie McGraw, Alex Hernandez, Ryan Cooper, Kelly Deadmon, and Senzel Ahmady.
Where can I watch TOX?
TOX is not yet in wide release. The film is currently seeking festival placement and distribution following private screenings, including a cast and crew screening in Montclair, New Jersey.
