A different kind of psychological thriller.
People who have been subjected to certain written pieces of mine in the past will know that I’m incredibly fond of Night Gallery, the early 70s anthology series produced and hosted by Rod Serling. One of the most powerful episodes of the series (which often specialized in tales of suspense, horror and sci-fi) was called “Stop Killing Me” and starred the great Geraldine Page as a woman who insisted her husband was continuously murdering her simply by every now and again telling her: “I’m going to kill you.” The effects of this repeated action wreaked havoc on the character’s psyche as seen when she frantically recounts her story to a police officer and proclaims that her husband is literally trying to scare her to death. It’s a brilliant episode that’s expertly acted by Page and features a great twist ending, as did every Night Gallery episode. Each time I think about “Stop Killing Me,” I can’t help but marvel at the premise of someone so utterly convinced they’re going to die with no way of proving it, that there is no other choice, but to inevitably…die. Apparently Amy Seimetz was intrigued by a similar notion and has taken her idea way further to create a film which, although imperfect, carries the idea of impending death so far, it becomes impossible to shake.
She Dies Tomorrow opens with a seemingly average young woman named Amy (Kate Lyn Sheil) who suddenly experiences an epiphany as she is setting up her new home; she will die the very next day. Not knowing what to make of this sudden revelation, Amy calls her friend Jane (Jane Adams), who comes over later that night to check on her only to eventually become convinced that she herself will soon be meeting an untimely end. The fear and certainty experienced by both women soon make their way onto Jane’s brother Jason (Chris Messina), his wife Susan (Kate Aselton) and a married doctor (Josh Lucas), among a handful of others.
As a film, She Dies Tomorrow cannot be described as being either really good, or really bad. This was never meant to be that kind of film. This is instead a film that exists purely in the in-between thanks to the highly abstract nature of its set up and premise. It’s also hard to say who this film is for. Arthouse fans and lovers of dark cinema will certainly be intrigued enough to check it out, but various elements of She Dies Tomorrow may mean that the film could possibly keep them at a distance. The biggest strike against the movie is its structure, with the narrative shifting far too often without accomplishing much. We follow Amy, we follow Jane. We are granted glimpses of how their supposed upcoming deaths have shaken them, but we never fully find out much more than that. Seimetz’s relationship with her characters is a somewhat troubling one in the sense that we are given fly-on-the-wall access to them, but never get to know them intimately. Traits are carefully scattered along the way, such as Jane’s obsession with her work and Amy’s past abortion, but they aren’t enough to really know the people we suspect won’t be around for much longer. Whether the director wished to create a specific amount of distance between us and the people we’re watching or not, I can’t fully confirm. All I can say is that she has.
Still, She Dies Tomorrow is a deeply affecting film. The main conceit of the plot is that the premonition Amy experiences early on is passed onto Jane, who passes it onto Jason, who passes it along to Susan, and so on and so on. The way Seimetz illustrates this on the screen with such delicacy gives it undeniable power. Seeing this feeling of dread and realization take over every character as the incredibly stirring synth score plays is one of the best representations of the sort of encompassing horror that can be conjured up by the human mind. Maybe it’s because of the real-life horrors of the world we’re all waking up to every day, but by the time the film comes to a close, it’s impossible not to feel completely shaken by what’s just transpired. There will be almost no one who can’t put themselves in the shoes of any one of these characters, especially in the wake of the current social climate. It’s questionable to what degree She Dies Tomorrow would work in “ordinary times,” but in this very world we find ourselves in, it knows what scares us most.
Sheil is just so incredibly hypnotic as Amy. Her personal connection to the script means her performance contains a level of commitment and deep understanding for what ends up being the film’s most indispensable character. Messina and Lucas both show sides of themselves past projects have rarely allowed them to do before, while Tunde Adebimpe and Jennifer Kim as a couple of the verge of breaking up manage some surprising moments that only add to the hypnotic nature of the movie. It’s Aselton who succeeds with what is perhaps the trickiest role in She Dies Tomorrow. At first glance, Susan is a character you hope you don’t have to spend too much time with until the contagious premonition of death catches up to her at which point she’s revealed to be a woman with a hidden soulfulness that’s beautifully brought out by the actress.
I don’t usually save my final thoughts on a review of a film to praise a single performer, but I have to take special time out to just applaud the performance of Ms. Adams with the most sincerest respect and admiration. The actress has been a welcome presence on a variety of screen and TV assignments for decades and has proven her talents time and time again. Adams has shown that she’s equally adept in the worlds of both Todd Solondz and Frasier (especially hilarious as David Hyde Pierce’s temporary counterpart). Here however, she’s tasked with more than just a character type and is instead given a whole character that undergoes one of the most profound experiences of her life. Jane may be the most fully realized individual in the whole piece, transforming herself from a woman who has worked to make her life as content as it appears to be to someone coming to grips with what her existence actually means. It’s a difficult arc to pull off, but Adams is game and more than capable. Her work grounds the film in ways even Seimetz probably couldn’t have imagined. The end result is a career-best performance as well as the real life to be found within She Dies Tomorrow.