She Dies Tomorrow
Due to premiere as a headliner of the thirty-second edition of this year’s South By Southwest Film Festival (that was cancelled due to the ongoing events of the pandemic), She Dies Tomorrow has had to brave many obstacles to get to where it is today. Alas, due to its timely premise, Amy Seizmetz’s newest film has a new-found potential of becoming the next big cinematic conversation starter of the summer.
From the start of the film, it can be noted that She Dies Tomorrow is unlike anything seen before. Perhaps only mildly comparable in style to Upstream Color, the unique way in which She Dies Tomorrow is structured, lit and put together turns it into a rare beast, one that can be interpreted as a sign of a new visionary in second-time writer and director, Amy Seimetz. Despite certain self-indulgent faults, her steady but uncompromising hand is one that stays loyal to her nature, resulting in a film that is more of a thematic exercise than a traditional narrative storyline.
However, films of that style can only function properly when its message is clear, or at least somewhat comprehensible, and explored to a satisfying extent. In the case of Seimetz’s film, there are a few brief passages where the message is muddled in its unconventional structure, especially when key scenes take a rather unnecessary comedic turn or are abruptly ended without any sense of a deeper purpose. This is also seen in the depth to which Seimetz explores the concept, showing brief glimpses of genius which are undercut by underside of many characters and story threads left unfinished. Additionally, while Seimetz takes many brave risks, such as the opening act veering on becoming tediously repetitive to enforce its core message, many of them are not quite executed to their full potential. This results in a highly fragmented film which seems to have minimal drive during its many lengthy sections.
Yet, due to the ambiguous nature of the film itself, its fragmented structure becomes one of the utmost strengths instead of an embarrassing weakness to be forgotten. Because of its narrative incoherence, the unconventional structure creates a palpable atmosphere of uncertainty embedded in every detail of the film. What could become a straightforward but unengaging slog in the hands of many, is salvaged by Seimetz. It becomes a story which taps into the fearful anticipation, paranoia and confusion (which is eerily reflective of current events) that injects a jolt of subtle energy into each question asked by the narrative. That approach, when combined with Seimetz’s visual prowess, produces some of the best moments of the year with regards to sections where everything comes together in a near-perfect fashion. While there are many of those moments sprinkled throughout the film, they can all be identified by Jay Keitel’s colourfully chaotic cinematography. Whole rooms are lit up with pulsating flashes that accentuate the emotions one presumably feels upon death’s door. This is interpreted differently by each individual actor (none more so than Kate Lynn Shell’s Amy) to capture a surreal Lynchian feeling that ensures that each moment can stand tall on its own. In fact, those haunting moments were so impactful that if they were featured and expanded upon even further, it would have benefitted the film greatly.
And yet, possibly the most perplexing aspect of this film is it’s strangely calming (but inconclusive) ending which can only be defined as one of those whose fate is left to the subjective artistic opinion of the viewer. Some may find it cheap, unfair and depressing while others might find it tantalizingly ambiguous and ready to be analysed for years to come. Regardless of its true meaning, however, it will inspire the amplification of a larger conversation. This shows that She Dies Tomorrow is a true reflection of what the art of cinema should strive to be as a whole.
Overall, She Dies Tomorrow is hindered by a lack of depth and a minimal exploration of its core concept which results in an uncompromisingly fractured narrative structure. However, due to the brilliance of Amy Seimetz, it is able to be salvaged by her ability to indulge in her pure and unfiltered vision and will surely become a film that will be mulled upon for years to come.