She Dies Tomorrow – Movie Review (3/5)

SHE DIES TOMORROW is a new horror sci-fi movie with a plot featuring a virus. Though in a very different way. Also, for the first half of this movie, the pace is extreme slow-burner. That is not for everyone. Read our She Dies Tomorrow review here!

SHE DIES TOMORROW is a new horror sci-fi movie. The pace for the first 30-40 minutes of the 86-minute runtime is very slow-burn. It’s what many would call an “artsy movie” and I realize this is not for everyone. Hell, I even wondered if it was really anything for me.

Then came the final half of the movie and yes, it definitely did turn out to be a movie for me.

Continue reading our She Dies Tomorrow review below.

A different kind of slow-burner

We recently reviewed another movie that was definitely a slow-burner. It’s the horror western The Pale Door, which never did much for me. When the pace of that particular movie changed, it wasn’t exactly anything that improved the viewing experience for me.

With She Dies Tomorrow, the shift in pace made the entire storyline come together and make sense. Also, this horror, drama, sci-fi hybrid ends up being very bloody at times. So while you might think you’re watching an artsy indie drama, it will develop into much more.

In fact, I think the whole style of this movie would have been awesome in a movie theater due to how it evolves in intensity alone.

Watching it at home during summer means there are so many distractions. I mean, just the outside light and noises of the world alone take away from a movie like this. Still, if you hang in there, I do honestly feel that the ending is rewarding.

Also, the cast of this movie is absolutely brilliant. Seriously, you know when an actor/filmmaker is in charge because they get awesome actors in even the smallest of roles.

The strong ending of She Dies Tomorrow

She Dies Tomorrow currently has an IMDb rating of 5.2 which perfectly illustrates how this movie is not for everyone. If you read user reviews, you’ll see why. The somewhat “middle of the road”-rating isn’t because the movie is mediocre but because it divides viewers into haters and lovers. It really is an either/or experience.

And yet, we end up giving it a 3 out of 5, which is certainly also very much in the middle. The reason for this is the fact that the beginning requires too much of its audience. It’s clear from reading user reviews that many never make it to the final half. To me, that means the movie has failed in some way.

Then again, having watched the entire thing, I absolutely think it delivers on something quite extraordinary. Otherwise, the rating would have been at rock-bottom with just 1 star (or blood splatter, which we use instead).

Also, when it comes to the ending of She Dies Tomorrow it will leave some people with questions. I don’t want to go into a “She Dies Tomorrow ending explained”-thing here. However, I will say that this movie is ultimately about the power of suggestion and free will. Which of the two can and will win in the world today?!

Watch She Dies Tomorrow on VOD

Amy Seimetz is the writer and director of She Dies Tomorrow. You probably know Amy Seimetz as an actor since she’s been several horror and sci-fi movies. She was in the 2019 remake of Pet Sematary and in Alien: Covenant (2017). Also, she’s in Stranger Things which I know a lot of you have certainly watched.

However, as a writer and director, she has also been quite active for years now. She’s been making short films since 2005 and was the creator of The Girlfriend Experience series. Of course, she also wrote and directed quite a lot on that series.

In terms of feature films, She Dies Tomorrow is her second. The first feature film written and directed by Amy Seimetz was Sun Don’t Shine from 2012. Visually, the style of the two movies is somewhat similar, so she definitely knows what she wants. Also, both star Kate Lyn Sheil.

If you like to be challenged by movies and you’re ready to sit out a slow first half for a powerful second half, then She Dies Tomorrow is absolutely worth your time. However, you might give up or never get into it. You’ll just have to check it out to know for sure!

She Dies Tomorrow is already out on VOD in the US, and it will be out in the UK on Curzon Home Cinema and Digital Download on August 28, 2020. It will also be added to Hulu on December 4, 2020.

Details

Writer/Director: Amy Seimetz
Stars: Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Josh Lucas, Chris Messina, Michelle Rodriguez, Adam Wingard