I was lucky enough to attend a press screening of #BeforeIFallMovie. In case you didn't know, this story is originally a YA book of the same name by bestselling author Lauren Oliver. It centers on Samantha, a popular high school student who is your quintessential mean girl. On the school's "Cupid Day", meaning the day that Valentine-grams with roses go out, Sam and her best friends end up in a car accident at the end of the night. When Sam next wakes up, it's Cupid Day again, and she discovers that she is reliving the same day over and over again.
The movie was beautifully filmed, with gorgeous Pacific Northwest landscapes, and dark, brooding palates. Zoey Deutch and the rest of the actors do a really good job portraying the various characters, but as with many teen movies, I found myself totally frustrated with the "Baes", Sam's mean girl group. I was just NOT HERE for their bitchiness and bullying. The pacing was a bit quick for the character development, although I understand the book does this better - it's a movie, what can you do.
The bigger issue for me was that it was hard to enjoy the character development because the dialogue and plot were predictable. There are a lot of moments when I felt like the narrative was trying very hard to be "deep," and as an adult, it just ended up feeling clichéd to me.
That said, I think a lot of teens will like this movie, particularly those who are questioning what it means to live and survive and be a good person. I know 15-year old me definitely would have eaten up this Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day story.
The movie was beautifully filmed, with gorgeous Pacific Northwest landscapes, and dark, brooding palates. Zoey Deutch and the rest of the actors do a really good job portraying the various characters, but as with many teen movies, I found myself totally frustrated with the "Baes", Sam's mean girl group. I was just NOT HERE for their bitchiness and bullying. The pacing was a bit quick for the character development, although I understand the book does this better - it's a movie, what can you do.
The bigger issue for me was that it was hard to enjoy the character development because the dialogue and plot were predictable. There are a lot of moments when I felt like the narrative was trying very hard to be "deep," and as an adult, it just ended up feeling clichéd to me.
That said, I think a lot of teens will like this movie, particularly those who are questioning what it means to live and survive and be a good person. I know 15-year old me definitely would have eaten up this Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day story.