‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ Review – Sundance 2023

Sometimes I Think About Dying: Directed by Rachel Lambert

SYNOPSIS: Fran likes to think about dying. It brings sensation to her quiet life. When she makes the new guy at work laugh, it leads to more: a date, a slice of pie, a conversation, a spark. The only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.

Sometimes I Think About Dying is just so good. You can say what you want but I believe that Daisy Ridley is a star and has been for awhile. I believe that even though the sequel trilogy might not be fantastic, that doesn’t take away from the really great work that she did both in that franchise and out of it. With that being said, I was very excited to give this film a watch. Described as an Office type film that is both trippy and hilarious. You take that and add that Ridley is playing a character starkly different from Rey, sign me up please.

I absolutely fell for both this movie and for our main character of Fran. I wanted nothing more in life than to see Ridley’s Fran succeed and find a little life. The thing I adore so much about the character is the fact that there is nothing bad about her. She’s awkward, lives a normal life and after meeting Robert, decides to find some fun. I think people can relate to that. Maybe not on the level of Fran, but we all can relate to finding excitement in life. The supporting cast is fun, giving the perfect performances for ‘The Office’ like vibes.

This script is incredibly tight. It should be a boring film, but the story is easy to follow, they make the main character likable enough (although I would give a lot of the credit to Daisy Ridley) and you get attached right from the start. A lot of the success of this writing also comes down to the execution from the director. Rachel Lambert does a brilliant job at making the mundane interesting and the atmosphere gripping. From the second the story begins, I was instantly entranced in this rather boring world. I don’t know how they did it, but I loved it. 

FINAL: Sometimes I Think About Dying left a mark on me that I will remember for a long time. Daisy Ridley is the best thing to come out of this with such a spectacular performance. I have never rooted for a character more in such a long time. The writing is so relatable in lots of facets of how people look at life and the overall atmosphere is great. Loved the supporting cast, the direction and the finale. It is weird at points and everyone won’t warm up to it, but this could become a cult hit in the near future.

Point Breakdown:

15 for Writing: 14

15 for Performances: 13

10 for Entertainment: 9

10 for Direction: 9

10 for Emotions: 8

5 for Cinematography: 4

5 for Score: 4

5 for Pacing: 5

15 for Technical: 12

5 for Rewatchability: 5

5 for Automatic: 5

Sometimes I Think About Dying: 88/100

Jack Lautaret is a Banana Meter approved film critic, Host of the Jack Lautaret YouTube Channel and writer for Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Online Film and Television Association. Twitter: @JackLautaret