By Design (2025 film)

Last updated
By Design
Directed by Amanda Kramer
Written byAmanda Kramer
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPatrick Meade Jones
Edited byBenjamin Shearn
Music by
Production
companies
  • Cold Iron Pictures
  • Smudge Films
Distributed by Music Box Films
Release date
  • January 23, 2025 (2025-01-23)(Sundance)
Running time
92 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

By Design is a 2025 American drama film written and directed by Amanda Kramer. It stars Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Melanie Griffith, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, and Udo Kier.

Contents

It premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.

Premise

A woman swaps bodies with a chair. [2]

Cast

Production

In September 2024, it was announced Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, Udo Kier, Clifton Collins Jr. and Betty Buckley had joined the cast of the film, with Amanda Kramer writing and directing. Filming took place in Los Angeles. [3]

Release

It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025. [4] In August 2025, Music Box Films acquired distribution rights to the film. [5]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 70% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

References

  1. "By Design". Sundance Film Festival . Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  2. "2025 Sundance Film Festival Reveals 93 Projects for Feature Film and Episodic Programs". Sundance Film Festival . December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  3. Grobar, Matt (September 11, 2024). "Juliette Lewis & Mamoudou Athie To Topline Body Swap Pic 'By Design' From Amanda Kramer". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  4. D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  5. Wiseman, Andreas; Ntim, Zac (August 20, 2025). "Sundance Dramedy 'By Design', Starring Juliette Lewis As A Chair, Gets North America Deal". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 20, 2025.