With The Threshing Floor, director Brad Alexander delivers a raw and deeply personal portrait of addiction, faith, and redemption. Centered on the powerful testimony of Tim Arrigo—a former addict who transformed his scars into a source of healing for others—the documentary strips away clichés to confront the painful realities of loss, resilience, and hope. Set against the backdrop of Orange County and shaped by the echoes of skate and punk culture, the film challenges us to rethink how we view vulnerability, recovery, and the possibility of renewal.
The Threshing Floor is a deeply moving and powerful documentary that traces Tim Arrigo’s journey from the depths of addiction to a life of faith, purpose, and service to others. Directed by Brad Alexander and produced by Wise Old Crow Media, the film goes far beyond a personal testimony—it becomes a mirror of a wider crisis in the United States, where countless lives are fractured in different ways by drugs.
The film doesn’t shy away from the emotional weight of its subject. Through raw and unflinching interviews, we hear not only Tim’s voice but also those of family members, friends, and others touched by addiction. Some speak of lives lost, others of the scars that remain. These testimonies are often heartbreaking, making us confront the harsh reality of grief and absence while underscoring the resilience of those who continue to fight.
While the story unfolds chronologically, it becomes more than a simple timeline. The structure deepens into a psychological and emotional exploration, revealing not just how addiction takes hold but how healing and transformation gradually emerge.
The film is built out of multiple interviews, each adding a different perspective that gradually shapes the narrative. Family members, friends, and peers contribute pieces of the puzzle, their voices intertwining into a collective testimony. Alongside these accounts, the film incorporates archival news footage, images of life on the streets, and scenes of homeless drug addicts, creating a raw, unfiltered portrait of addiction’s reach. It’s this mix of elements—interviews, archives, lived reality, and personal memory—that gives the documentary its distinctive strength. Viewers are never told what to think; instead, the meaning emerges organically from the accumulation of voices and images.
One of the documentary’s most compelling dimensions is its connection to skateboard and punk culture, rooted in Brad Alexander and Tim Arrigo’s own youth. Archival footage of skateparks, street sessions, and teenage hangouts serves as a reminder that behind every “cool” subculture are kids—often vulnerable, often unprepared—navigating environments where drugs are never far away. Tim himself reflects on how, as a child, he couldn’t fully grasp the issues surrounding him. These sequences add authenticity and a raw edge rarely seen in recovery documentaries.
Visually, The Threshing Floor is reinforced by strong cinematography and striking aerial imagery, which contrast with the intimacy of the interviews. Orange County becomes both a landscape of despair and a canvas for renewal.
At its core, the film is not just about addiction—it’s about vulnerability, resilience and faith. Tim’s scars become the very reason others open up to him. His journey reframes recovery as something spiritual, raw, and deeply human.
What remains is a double impression: on one side, a sobering portrait of a national crisis that silently destroys lives; on the other, a message of hope, embodied by Tim’s resilience and his mission to help thousands of others find their way out. It’s also a well-made documentary—carefully crafted, emotionally resonant, and compelling from start to finish. It offers both cinematic quality and an urgent, necessary conversation.
The Threshing Floor is both a call for empathy and a celebration of human resilience—a film that demands attention and invites a broader conversation about how we perceive addiction, healing, and redemption.
