FilmSnobReviews

Title: Before I Fall
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Ry Russo-Young
Starring: Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Cynthy Wu
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

What It Is: February 12th or Cupid Day as it’s known in the life of Samantha Kingston is a very cool day for the teen. She hangs out with her perfect friend, her perfect boyfriend, and perfect family. Everything is perfect until the night of that special day. You see it is on this day that Samantha dies. Now she’s stuck in a loop living her last day over and over until she can crack the code on how to fix this day for the better.

What We Think: Zoey Deutch is really solid here. The film looks really good but it is sadly let down by its script. Some of the supporting characters just cannot act and it shows the holes in the plot and script. Ry Russo-Young does an admirable job but it all seems so style over substance. The film deserves credit for working with its tired premise, but it does not hold a candle to something like Groundhogs Day which perfected this formula many years ago. Unlike Edge of Tomorrow you want this one to live, die and stay dead.

Our Grade: C-, Passable only for its lead performance this is a showcase for Deutch who was great last year in one of my Top Ten Best of 2016 Everybody Wants Some!!!. When you’re the daughter of an actress as iconic as Lea Thompson you have to really try and stand out in this she does. I, sadly do not recommend the film outside of possibly outside curiosity. Regardless there are certainly worse films in the YA experience and this one suffers from simply being too predictable until the last part of the third act. Nice to see ANOTHER female-driven film though let’s keep that trend going!