From its ominous opening voiceover narration to its rain-drenched Pacific Northwest setting, Ry Russo-Young’s Before I Fall is similarly preoccupied with the inevitability of death. Adapted from Lauren Oliver’s 2010 novel, this is a melodramatic YA riff on the timeloop trope that has underpinned the likes of Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow. Zoey Deutch stars as high-schooler Sam, a reluctant member of a mean girl clique, doomed to constantly relive the day of her untimely demise. It transpires that her fate is intertwined with that of her eccentric classmate Juliet (Elena Kamouris, channelling Sissy Spacek in Carrie to uncanny effect), who is subjected to relentless ridicule by Sam’s posse. While its frenetic editing and intrusive pop soundtrack might keep restless teens in their seats, viewers with fully-formed attention spans may find themselves willing Sam towards her final resting place long before she devises a plan to break the purgatorial cycle. But Russo-Young and cinematographer Michael Fimograni deserve praise for the slick, moody visuals, and the climax packs an effective emotional punch. Alas, nothing about the film is quite as entertaining as its ludicrously unwieldy, on-the-nose German title: Wenn du stirbst, zieht dein ganzes Leben an dir vorbei, sagen sie.
Before I Fall | Directed by Ry Russo-Young (USA 2017) with Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage. Starts June 1
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