Exploring Ocular Disease in Movies: Eye Health Lessons from Together

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Takeaways

• Systemic health shows up in the eyes – From HIV-related Kaposi Sarcoma to chlamydial and gonococcal conjunctivitis, ocular findings often reveal deeper medical conditions.
• Storytelling bridges film and optometry – The Together movie becomes a powerful metaphor for patient care, trauma, and the way eye care professionals interpret complex human experiences.
• Optometrists must ask hard questions – Beyond vision correction, clinicians play a crucial role in screening, detecting, and guiding patients toward urgent systemic care.

Optometry is a profession that continually balances medical science with human experience. In a recent episode of the Reel Eyes Podcast, hosts Dr. Jacob Wilson and Dr. Jacobi Cleaver welcomed guest Dr. Morgan Jones for an unusual yet engaging conversation.

The discussion spanned rare clinical eye cases, such as Tolosa-Hunt syndrome and Kaposi sarcoma, before diving deep into a detailed review of the horror film Together. What began as a movie critique became a broader reflection on trauma, relationships, systemic health, and the eye’s role in revealing more than vision.