Frankly, I didn’t know Before I Fall was going to be a chick-flick. 10 minutes into the movie and I was already bracing myself for a lot of teen “Woohoos” and the quintessential “Oh My Gods”. Then I realized I hadn’t stepped into it properly, and these girls were really getting started. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew there were going to be a lot of selfies, presumably “cool” talk, and all that nonsensical high school BS that you grow out of at some point.
Then unfurled the plot of Before I fall movie that was nothing but a loop story. To live all of that high school madness every single day, now that was a testing time. Seriously, I hoped the movie to go somewhere with its climax, but unfortunately, it fell dead without a logical explanation to tack it upon. The movie feels like a flippant affair that doesn’t let you become serious.
Plot and Theme of Before I Fall Movie (Spoilers Ahead)
The story is based on the novel written by Lauren Oliver. A 17-year-old girl Samantha portrayed by Zoey Deutch wakes up from a car accident where she has been killed, only to find out she is well intact. Her day goes on, as she gathers her friends Lindsay (Halston Sage), Ally and Elody to begin her regular day at school. It’s Cupid Day at school and in the evening there’s this huge party thrown in by Kent McFuller portrayed by Logan Miller the guy in love with Sam.
For some of us, there’s only today and what you do today matters, in the moment and maybe to infinity. But I didn’t know any of that until I fell.
They have a rough night with Juliet Sykes played by Elena Kampouris, the school psycho girl, showing up at the party as they end up in a scuffle with her. They leave early only to meet a car accident, yes it’s the one that kills Sam.
However, when Sam wakes up, she realizes it is the same day all over again. Even though she does things differently she ends up with the same result. The same day repeats itself. When she refuses to go to the party and stays home instead, she gets a message about Juliet getting killed. The following days see her trying things differently so as to try and figure out what is she missing on. But at the end of the day Juliet dies, and she has to relive the same day all over again.
Doing the Right Thing
She realizes that in focusing on being a part of the “Mean Girls” group she has been missing out on so many good things in her life. She has unknowingly turned into someone else.
It is only when she realizes the truth behind Juliet’s insecurities that she understands what is causing that accident. It is a pissed off Juliet who is running towards the road that seems to be the reason for her clogged fate. With hopes to make amends, she does all the things the way they should have been done in the first place, where she appreciates her little sister, her mother and father.
I see only my greatest hits. I see the things I want to remember and be remembered for. That’s when I realize that certain moments go on forever, even after they are over they go on. They are the meaning.
She tells everyone why they are important to her. She does right by kissing Logan and telling him that she loves him too. You know all the good stuff! Then this time when Juliet shows up she runs after her coaxing her not to suicide which she nevertheless attempts to do. However, Sam pushes her away just in time only to kill herself in the process.
Obvious Flaws
Before I Fall is a fully flawed movie; you can’t just pinpoint one. The first question that pops in your mind is why Sam is not sharing whatever she saw with her friends or family? Why is she not telling anyone about her day, that she had been living the same day over and over again? If she had, maybe it would have gone in a different way. Because that’s the natural thing and the first thing that you might do instead of trying to figure out everything all by yourself.
That angle was left out altogether. Doing so would have at least made her into a superhero, as she would have predicted everything like a boss.
Isn’t that how it always works out? There’s somebody laughing and there’s somebody being laughed at?
Characters in the movie are very thinly made too. It is hard to feel for them when there is nothing solid to chew upon. Like that of Juliet Sykes who starts abusing the gang, out of the blue. It appears very much contrived.
The Million Dollar Question
Then the movie goes in an apparent diegesis of sorts where a dead Sam is actually speaking to the audience. She admits to being killed and then talks about her choices. It’s the afterlife she tries to speak from, but why do her choices matter then when she has clearly died? She states in the end that she has learned how to live, but there’s no life left, right? Then what’s the point?
If saving Juliet would have stopped the loop, she could have done that without killing herself. Like the sanest thing to do would have been to tug at her, stopping her from going to the road in the first place. You don’t reason with a person who is destined to kill herself at a particular time when she is standing so close to the road. You just stop her from going anywhere near the road. Period.
Then there was nothing out of the ordinary in the screenplay too. Nothing intelligible about Ry Russo-Young‘s direction either.
The Final Verdict
I personally loved all the actors though. They were not only gorgeous to look at, they were capable of bringing a smile to your face. For instance how Elody played by Medalion Rahimi would come running and dancing to the car from her house. Or how Sam was really tight with Lindsay. It was lovely seeing how they used to be around each other.
Then again, there wasn’t any morsel of intelligence to Before I Fall movie. It seemed to have been created just for the heck of telling a loop story tacked with personal choices. Doing the right thing, being who you are, are some of the most cliched topics that are floating out there. You literally feel your IQ degrade after watching Before I Fall.
It might appeal a lot to the younger generation though. Watching it or not watching it is entirely your choice.
You can check out the trailer of Before I Fall Movie here:
Before I Fall
Pros
- The Tight Friendship
- The Loop Thrill
Cons
- Very Shallow
- Flawed Stuff
- An unintelligent take
- Countless Issues
