Sometimes I Think About Dying

Last updated

Sometimes I Think About Dying
Sometimes I Think About Dying poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Rachel Lambert
Written by
  • Kevin Armento
  • Stefanie Abel Horowitz
  • Katy Wright-Mead
Based onKillers
by Kevin Armento [1]
Produced by
  • Alex Saks
  • Daisy Ridley
  • Dori Rath
  • Lauren Beveridge
  • Brett Beveridge
Starring
CinematographyDustin Lane
Edited byRyan Kendrick
Music byDabney Morris
Production
companies
  • Point Productions
  • Saks Picture Company
Distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories
Release dates
  • January 19, 2023 (2023-01-19)(Sundance)
  • January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)(United States)
Running time
93 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$245,127 [3] [4]

Sometimes I Think About Dying is a 2023 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Rachel Lambert, written by Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, and Katy Wright-Mead. It is based on the 2013 play Killers by Armento, and a short film that was released in 2019, directed and co-written by Horowitz. The film stars Daisy Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena, Marcia DeBonis, Meg Stalter, Brittany O'Grady, and Bree Elrod.

Contents

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2023, and was released on January 26, 2024.

Premise

Fran is a socially awkward office worker who spends most of her time in isolation and daydreams of her own death, when a new colleague pricks the bubble of her own isolation. [5]

Cast

Production

In October 2021, it was reported that Daisy Ridley secretly shot an independent drama in Astoria, Oregon; [6] the project would later be announced in December 2021 in which Ridley also produced the film with Rachel Lambert directing. [7] The screenplay by Kevin Armento is a partial adaptation of his own 2013 play Killers, with Stefanie Abel Horowitz, who directed a 2019 short of the same name, also a screenwriter along with Katy Wright-Mead. All three had also been credited with screenwriting the 2019 short and Horowitz had also directed the 2013 play. [8]

The film is set in a small city on the coast of Oregon. [9] Ridley told a crowd at Sundance that she related to Fran saying "Like, sometimes I feel like a piece of fucking shit. And sometimes I feel, like, great…What was interesting with Fran was sometimes she's sort of obnoxious. Sometimes, she's like, 'I don't want to play your games. I don't want to talk about food. I'm good, I'm apart from this.' And other times, she's like, 'How do I become part of this?' So I resonated with that. [10]

Release

Sometimes I Think About Dying premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2023. [11] In April 2023, Oscilloscope acquired the US distribution rights to the film. [12] The UK distribution rights were acquired by Vertigo Releasing in May 2023. [13] It was released in the United States on January 26, 2024, [14] and later in the United Kingdom on April 19. [2]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 81% of 124 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10.The website's consensus reads: "Departing from corporate comedy, Sometimes I Think About Dying modestly explores critical human connection through a superbly melancholic Daisy Ridley." [15] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [16]

Helen O'Hara in Empire described a "beautiful, subdued Daisy Ridley performance" and wrote "if you’re tired of blockbuster bombast, this could be the antidote". [17] Peter Debruge in Variety said, "Movies tend to cut these bits out, to focus on the escapist stuff, but every once in a while one comes along, searching for poetry in the mundane." Ridley's character Fran's daydreams are shown as images, and Debruge noted that those "scenes are unexpected, surreal, accompanied by a lovely, meditative string score from composer Dabney Morris. Fran doesn't seem suicidal, but she isn't particularly engaged in life either. The character’s personality is so understated, it's strange to find someone of Ridley's stature drawn to such a self-effacing role". [18] Lovia Gyarkye said in The Hollywood Reporter , "Loneliness is the subject of a poetic exploration…Fran is too distinctively drawn to be just an avatar, but the impressions of her solitude are aching reminders of how modern life nurtures an unsettling separateness… Sometimes I Think About Dying, then, is a graceful treatise on how challenging — but liberating — it can be to make connections." [19]

Related Research Articles

Pietra Brettkelly is a New Zealand filmmaker, known for her documentaries. She is a documentary filmmaker submitted three times for Oscar consideration, a member of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and was recently named an Arts Laureate of New Zealand. Her films have premiered in five of the world's top six film festivals – Sundance, Toronto, Venice, Berlin and Tribeca Film Festivals – and have garnered many awards. She is known for her independent, risk-taking style, which has taken her to many different countries. She approaches her subjects' lives with a "quiet" demeanor and "non-judgmental" attitude, allowing her to capture and document real stories.

Parvesh Singh Cheena is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Gupta in the TV series Outsourced and as Sunil Odhav on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. He also voices Bodhi in T.O.T.S. and Blades in Transformers: Rescue Bots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daisy Ridley</span> English actress (born 1992)

Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley is an English actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

<i>Ophelia</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Claire McCarthy

Ophelia is a 2018 historical romantic drama film directed by Claire McCarthy and written by Semi Chellas about the character of the same name from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Based on the novel by Lisa Klein, the film follows the story of Hamlet from Ophelia's perspective. It stars Daisy Ridley in the title role, alongside Naomi Watts, Clive Owen, George MacKay, Tom Felton and Devon Terrell. The dialogue is in modern English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Bateman (actor)</span> British actor

Thomas Jonathan Bateman is a British actor best known for his roles as Giuliano de' Medici in the Starz historical fantasy drama series Da Vinci's Demons (2013–2015), as Bouc in the mystery films Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022), and as Matt Pierce in the Peacock comedy thriller Based on a True Story (2023).

<i>Miss Juneteenth</i> 2020 film

Miss Juneteenth is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples and starring Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, and Alexis Chikaeze. The plot follows a single mom and former teen beauty queen who enters her daughter into the local Miss Juneteenth pageant. The film premiered at Sundance in January 2020, and was released via video on demand on June 19, 2020, coinciding with the 155th anniversary of the historically Black holiday which originated in the south eastern United States.

<i>Us Kids</i> 2020 film

Us Kids is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Kim A. Snyder, following members of the March for Our Lives movement after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talia Ryder</span> American actress (born 2002)

Talia Ryder is an American stage and film actress.

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to 29, 2023. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 7, 2022.

<i>Bruiser</i> (2022 film) 2022 American film

Bruiser is a 2022 American drama film that written by Ben Medina and Miles Warren, directed by Warren and starring Trevante Rhodes, Shamier Anderson, Jalyn Hall and Shinelle Azoroh.

Rob Peace is a 2024 American biographical drama film written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor and starring Jay Will, Mary J. Blige and Ejiofor. It is based on the biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs.

<i>Earth Mama</i> 2023 film by Savanah Leaf

Earth Mama is a 2023 drama film directed and written by Savanah Leaf, based on the short film The Heart Still Hums by Leaf and Taylor Russell. It was released theatrically in the United States on July 7, 2023, by A24 and in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2023, by We Are Parable. It won the Outstanding British Debut award at the 2024 BAFTAs and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2023 by the National Board of Review.

<i>Kokomo City</i> 2023 American film

Kokomo City is an 2023 American documentary film, directed, produced, and edited by D. Smith. It explores the lives of four Black trans women and their experiences as sex workers in New York and Georgia. Lena Waithe serves as an executive producer.

Rasheeda Williams, also known as Koko Da Doll and Hollywood Koko, was an American performance artist. She is known for starring in the documentary Kokomo City, a film that premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and featured her and three other Black trans women discussing their lives and experiences as sex workers. After her death, the film was dedicated to her.

<i>Skywalkers: A Love Story</i> 2024 American film

Skywalkers: A Love Story is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Jeff Zimbalist, produced by Zimbalist, Maria Bukhonina, Tamir Ardon, and Chris Smith, about rooftopping as it follows Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus.

Tia Nomore is an American actress and rapper. She is known for her debut leading role in the 2023 drama film, Earth Mama, for which she received positive reviews from critics and British Independent Film Awards and Independent Spirit Awards nominations.

Will & Harper is a 2024 American documentary film following Will Ferrell and Harper Steele as the duo made a 17-day road trip across the United States. The film has received positive reviews from critics.

In the Summers is a 2024 American semi-autobiographical drama film written and directed by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio in her feature directorial debut. The film won the Grand Jury Prize U.S. Dramatic at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

<i>Luther: Never Too Much</i> 2024 American film

Luther: Never Too Much is a documentary written and directed by American filmmaker Dawn Porter. It chronicles the life and career of R&B icon Luther Vandross, who died in 2005. The film premiered at 2024 Sundance and received positive critical reception.

References

  1. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying". Writers Guild of America West . December 23, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Sometimes I Think About Dying (15)". BBFC . March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved February 23, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  4. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 23, 2024.Missing or empty |id=
  5. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying". Sundance Film Festival .
  6. ↑ "Film crew shoots independent movie in Astoria featuring 'Star Wars' actress". The Astorian. October 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Daisy Ridley To Star And Produce Indie 'Sometimes I Think About Dying'". Deadline. December 15, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Daisy Ridley to Star in, Produce Indie Drama 'Sometimes I Think About Dying'". Collider. December 15, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying' Review: Daisy Ridley Tries To Come Out Of Her Shell [Sundance]". Theplaylist.net. January 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Daisy Ridley Relates to Her Character in Sometimes I Think About Dying: 'Sometimes I Feel Like a Piece of F—ing Shit'". MovieMaker.com. January 20, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying' Review: Daisy Ridley's Wondrous, Whimsical New Journey". Indiewire.com. January 20, 2023.
  12. ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 19, 2023). "Daisy Ridley's Sundance Pic 'Sometimes I Think About Dying' Lands At Oscilloscope". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  13. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (May 18, 2023). "Daisy Ridley's 'Sometimes I Think About Dying,' Which Premiered at Sundance, Sells to U.K.'s Vertigo (Exclusive)". Variety . Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  14. ↑ Echebiri, Makuochi (November 13, 2023). "Daisy Ridley-Led Sometimes I Think About Dying Gets Release Date & New Poster". Collider . Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  17. ↑ O'Hara, Helen (April 15, 2024). "Sometimes I Think About Dying review". Empire. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Sometimes I Think About Dying' Review: Daisy Ridley's Dreamy Sundance Indie Leaves Room to Think About Other Things". Variety. January 19, 2023.
  19. ↑ Gyarkye, Lovia (January 20, 2023). "Sometimes I Think About Dying' Review: Daisy Ridley Carries a Poetic Meditation on Isolation". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 20, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.