A short film from 2016 has taken the internet by storm this week, and prompted an array of distinct responses in people. The film, directed by Ben Berman, is called “How to Lose Weight in 4 Easy Steps!” Losing weight is only peripheral to the story, however. It’s really about a guy breaking up with his girlfriend, going through the stages of transformation that often occurs after having your heart broken, then finding a newer, truer love.
Someone shared it on Reddit this week as “One of the best break-up videos on YouTube,” and people’s responses to it were all over the place. Watch first, then see if you have one of the reactions other people had:
Kinda sad, kinda sweet, right? Judging by the comments, how you experience this video might depend on what stage you are at in a relationship—our out of one.
Some commenters said they basically just sobbed their way through it.
“Well, that was soul crushing.”
“Fair warning to anyone else planning to watch this – I bawled my eyes out”
“God! why did you post this ? broke me down, sobbing right now. thanks I hate you man.”Disclaimer: do not watch this if you’re going through a breakup. That sucked.”
Others found it helpful in overcoming their own heartbreak:
“Bruh, I just came home from work sad about a girl and this helped A LOT more than it should have.”
“This video is saved in my YouTube queue forever. I watch it whenever I’m feeling blue and it always picks me up.”
“This video honestly helped me a lot during my divorce. I watched it all the time when I was feeling down. Thank you Aaron for writing and making this.”
“This video helped me through a really hard time in my life. When my ex fiancee and I split. Sounds stupid but this video kept me going.”
For some, the video gave them the motivation they needed to start exercising.
“I really needed this. I’ve basically been in step 3 for a year and the virus has thrown a wrench into exercising and getting back into dating. Actually made me feel at ease and gave me a little motivation.”
“Probably will get lost in here but lost 110 lbs after seeing this video. Absolutely changed/saved my life.”
“This video is what motivated me to lose ~70lbs.”
One person reacted with a combo of cathartic crying and motivated muscle-building.
“For real, I remember watching this back when it came out. I broke down so hard that it affected me to my core that I was throwing my life away being a sad sack of fat shit. It was eating away (lul) at whatever minuscule amount of confidence I had left. This is the one video that kicked my ass and got me off the couch.”
Some people just couldn’t get past the odd way the guy wrote the number “6.”
“@5:42 who the fuck writes the number six like that!?”
“jeez no wonder she left him.”
“couldn’t concentrate on anything else after I saw it.”
“what psycho writes a six like that”
“Jesus, you’re right…that’s repulsive.”
Overall, however, the responses indicated that people were moved by it. A sign of a good film is that it gets people talking and hits people in different parts of their humanity, Clearly this one hits that mark, however you responded to it.
(Fun fact: The main actor and the girl at the gym, Beck Beckett and Jessie Hodges, were dating in real life when they made this film. They got married in 2018.
And yes, that is Conan O’Brien in the gym.)
