SHE DIES TOMORROW (2020)

Genre: Thriller
Director: Amy Seimetz
Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Kentucker Audley, Chris Messina, Katie Aselton, Tunde Adebimpe, Jennifer Kim, Josh Lucas, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michelle Rodriguez
Runtime: 1hr 27 mins
Rating: NC16 
Released By: KinoLounge by Shaw Theatres
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 4 September 2020

Synopsis: After waking up convinced that she is going to die tomorrow, Amy’s carefully mended life begins to unravel. As her delusions of certain death become contagious to those around her, Amy and her friends’ lives spiral out of control in a tantalizing descent into madness.

Movie Review:

The premise of this independent production is thought provoking, especially during these troubled times. A woman wakes up and finds herself realising that she is going to die tomorrow (the movie title can’t get be anymore straightforward than that). She shares her thoughts with her friend, and this disturbing idea spreads like a contagion. Soon, everyone in the movie has thoughts of dying tomorrow, and emotions spiral out of control as people start reacting differently as they hang on to their last bits of life.

As absurd as the story sounds, there is some similarity to how things are like in the world today. Take a look at what’s going on across social media – how politics and the coronavirus pandemic have collectively become a jumbled mess and how simple human behaviours can either bring out the best or the worst in people.

The 84 minute film wastes no time in letting you know Amy the protagonist is experiencing something dreadful. It starts with an extreme close up of her eyes, and it is not a comfortable sight. It is clear that she is not in her prettiest state, and she is looking straight into something frightening. This is just one of the many uneasy instances you’ll be feeling throughout the movie. For a film that is less than one and a half hours long, it is unsettlingly engaging.

Next, we see Amy wandering about her own house aimlessly. She obviously needs help in getting herself back together, but there is an overbearing sense of helplessness – something that we may have felt in times of loneliness and desperation. We also see strange lights beaming from a room in her house. Like the film itself, there are no clear answers what these lights are.

Other characters in Amy’s life appear. Her friend Jane seems to have had enough with dealing with the relapses, until she experiences the same dread. Other supporting characters appear at a party and engage in seemingly mundane conversations (the bit on dolphin sex is particularly interesting), but soon enough, they are also staring into space and muttering: “I am going to die tomorrow.” Coupled with the glaring strobes of light, these scenes remind you what Amy went through at the beginning of the film.

Viewers looking for a logical explanation why the characters are going through this mysterious phenomenon will be frustrated at the film directed and written by Amy Seimetz. There is no resolution. Instead, there are many questions that you may ask – not just about the screenplay, but also your own perspective on life’s many transient moments. Will you be calm or hysterical if you have one day to live? What will you see in front of you when death slowly approaches? What are you supposed to feel if something like this happens around you, and how will you actually react to people?

Seimetz, who is also an actress, reportedly financed the movie with her salary from Pet Sematary (2019). It must have been a personal work of passion, as reports also stated that she came up with the concept after noticing how people reacted to her after she shared her stories of anxiety attacks. The ensemble of relatively unknown actors including Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Kentucker Audley, Katie Aselton and Chris Messina makes this movie even more effective in relaying the characters’ raw emotions as viewers won’t be distracted by recognisable faces. You may just find the fear and desperation relatable in the midst of your everyday hustles and bustles.    

Movie Rating:

(The independent film's raw emotions of fear and desperation may not be everyone's cup of tea, but its messages are urgently relevant in today's troubled times)

Review by John Li