Before I Fall (2017)

What makes it different from others?

Too many fans seem to be blown away

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

February 12 is just another day in Sam's charmed life, until it turns out to be her last. Stuck reliving her last day over and over, Sam untangles the mystery around her death and discovers everything she's losing. Before i Fall is pretty interesting but unfortunately that's just as much as it can truly give you since it's just like 'Groundhog Day' which i did liked the concept but not the execution and the same problem happens with this movie as well. Let's just say that the acting was pretty good but the story? It tried a bit way too much at times even for a drama. (5/10)

I have seen a lot of movies in the past few months, most of them on Netflix and I saw this title and I said: "Why not? Add it to my list.". And I have decided to watch it this night. The movie is not the best one, I know, but as a whole it is more than just a movie, trust me. After it had ended I remained just speechless...I was just like.. WOW. It is a must if you like movies that put you on thoughts. 10/10 from me

Let's face it. This movie comes across as a remake of "Groundhog Day". Whereas Groundhog Day was a man in his late 30's reevaluating his life in a comedy. This is a young teenage girl re-evaluating her life in a drama. This movie has the standard teenage angst and coping with maturing, school, people, parents and life. But without the usual "it's my parents fault" idea. If you can get over the obvious Groundhog Day similarity's it's not a bad movie and worth a watch.

Before I Fall is best described as a contemporary feminist take on Groundhog Day. It tells the story of high school student Samantha who seems to have a quite normal life. She lives with her friendly parents and her good-spirited little sister. She has three best friends that stick together through thick and thin but who can also be quite arrogant and mean. The four girls bully a shy and silent girl with a very strange behavior at school. Samantha has a male childhood friend who is depserately in love with her but she also has a good-looking boyfriend who is quite popular among girls. It's Cupid Day and Samantha's clumsy childhood friend throws a part at his house as he hopes to impress his crush. Samantha is though planning on finally losing her virginity to her boyfriend and is morally supported by her excited friends. Things turn sour when the bullied girl unexpectedly comes to the party and gets into a fight with Samantha's best friend. The shy outsider runs away while Samantha and her friends feel frustrated about the ruined party and decide to drive home. On their way on a dark road, their car hits something and Samantha dies just to wake up in the morning of Cupid Day again. She realizes she has to figure out why she must live the same day over and over again. Samantha tries to organize some changes and experiments in her life to break the time loop.There are several great elements about the film but also a few downsides. Let's start with the negative points. The story line is rather unoriginal and the plot development quite flat at times. The movie is at times also overtly sentimental. Since the movie is mostly about Samantha, her three best friends and the strange girl, it's a film that might appeal more to female than male audiences. Witnessing the four girls bitching throughout considerable parts of the movie was quite tiring. I must also say that the male characters are all quite one-dimensional. The only two male characters of interest are a superficial womanizer who wants to sleep with the protagonist and the clumsy childhood friend who nearly stalks the protagonist.The movie also has many positive elements. I really like the film's gloomy and mysterious atmosphere that isn't just carried by the plot but by the wild landscapes of the American Northwest, the moody light techniques and the fitting alternative pop score. The protagonist's character development is particularly interesting to follow as she becomes very wise, warm and selfless throughout her fateful journey. The acting performances are great and especially lead actress Zoey Deutch convinces as rebellious teenage girl who rediscovers her good-spirited side. The movie obviously makes you think about your everyday life and daily decisions which gives some food for thought for philosophic discussions.In the end, you should watch Before I Fall if you like philosophic teenage dramas with a supernatural touch. I guess the movie might rather strike a chord with female than male audiences as well. While I really like this type of story, I must admit that especially the film's middle part was somewhat plodding. I personally prefered the similar but more vivid Happy Death Day as well as the Life Is Strange video games for a more mysterious coming-of-age experience.