If You Should Leave Before Me

Last updated
If You Should Leave Before Me
If You Should Leave Before Me.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by
  • Boyd Anderson
  • J. Markus Anderson
Written by
  • Boyd Anderson
  • J. Markus Anderson
Produced by
  • Shane P. Allen
  • Boyd Anderson
  • J. Markus Anderson
  • Chris Pegut
Starring
CinematographyDan Watt
Edited byBoyd Anderson
Music byTroy Higgins
Production
company
Chiefs Over Kings
Release date
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

If You Should Leave Before Me is a 2025 drama film written and directed by Boyd and J. Markus Anderson in their feature length directorial debut. The film stars Shane P. Allen, John Wilcox, Tom Noga, Merrick McCartha, and Susan Louise O'Connor.

Contents

Premise

To escape grief, a married couple take time to deal with tragedy by interacting with the recently deceased on their way to the afterlife. [1]

Cast

Production

The film is the Andersons' feature length debut, in which Shane P. Allen starred and produced. [1] The script was written in a month. [2]

Release

The film premiered on June 21, 2025 at Raindance Film Festival. [1] [3]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 90% of 10 critics' reviews are positive. [4]

Morgan Rojas at Cinemacy said that it is "joyfully enriching with the ability to pull on the same emotional heartstrings as episode three of The Last of Us ." [5] Romey Norton at Film Focus Online said it "invites audiences to sit with the uncomfortable truths of love and mortality". [6] Cut to the Take called it "one of the most wholesome explorations of grief ever made." [7]

Rich Cline at Shadows on the Wall scored the film 3 out of 5, stating while it "feels rather deliberately offbeat, it's also warm and observant as it explores things that remain unspoken between a middle-aged couple." [8] Darren Gaskell at Warped Perspective said "the pace may occasionally be a tad too leisurely, but The Andersons' uncommon examination of love and loss is frequently charming." [9]

Maryam Philpott at The Reviews Hub scored it 1.5 out of 5, stating it is "ambitious in scope, bleeding beyond its boundaries to explore life and death within a single relationship." [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 LePire, Bobby (2025-06-21). "If You Should Leave Before Me". Film Threat . Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  2. Chatterjee, Pramit (2025-06-24). "Interview: 'If You Should Leave Me' Directors J Markus Anderson, Boyd Anderson On Movies & Death | Film Fugitives" . Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  3. Lyng, Eoghan (2025-06-21). "If You Should Leave Before Me". DMovies. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  4. "If You Should Leave Before Me". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved September 6, 2025. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  5. Rojas, Morgan (2025-06-24). "'If You Should Leave Before Me' Review: Not Your Average Ghost Story". Cinemacy. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  6. Norton, Romey (2025-06-25). "'If You Should Leave Before Me' Review: A Poignant Meditation on Love, Loss and the Afterlife". Film Focus Online. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  7. "If You Should Leave Before Me. Review of a wonderful indie gem". Cut To The Take. 2025-07-01. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  8. Cline, Rich (2025-06-26). "Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films". Shadows on the Wall. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  9. Gaskell, Darren (2025-06-21). "Raindance 2025: If You Should Leave Before Me". Warped Perspective. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  10. Philpott, Maryam (2025-06-27). "If You Should Leave Before Me - Raindance Film Festival 2025". The Reviews Hub. Retrieved 2025-07-04.