The premise of GROUNDHOG DAY, as well as some of its plot points and lessons are recycled for the chick-lit tear-jerker BEFORE I FALL. Zoey Deutch plays Sam, a high schooler forced to relive the same day again and again but the new film has a more somber tone than the beloved Harold Ramis/Bill Murray classic, since what sets in motion Sam’s string of “daily do-overs” is her own death.
Sam is a 17-year-old girl who has it all: beauty, popularity, jock boyfriend Rob (Kian Lawley), a loving and wealthy family, and a trio of mean beauties as best friends (Halston Sage, Cynthy Wu, and Medalion Rahimi). Valentine’s Day is shaping up to be another perfect day in Sam’s perfect life. She plans to lose her virginity to Rob that night and has many roses get delivered to her in class, including one from Kent (Logan Miller), a nerdy kid with a crush on her. Sam and her posse bully poor Juliet (Elena Kampouris) the school misfit (we know she’s the resident oddball because she wears an Army jacket, her hair is in her eyes, and she creates charcoal drawings of creepy dark hallways). That night there’s a party at Kent’s house. Rob gets sloppy drunk and Juliet shows up to confront Sam and her friends. Going home, there’s a crash and Sam is killed, but when she wakes up the next morning, it’s February 14th all over. Sam is cursed to relive her last day on Earth again and again until she gets it right.
The premise of living the same day in a loop, as derivative as it is, works surprisingly well transferred to teen angst drama. It may be predictable and formulaic, but director Ry Russo-Young keeps things moving at a brisk pace and provides some picturesque scenery (lovingly photographed by Michael Fimognari). I like that Maria Maggenti’s lean script (from Lauren Oliver’s YA novel) stuck to the story without too many distractions. Zoey Deutch has an appealing screen presence and carries the film in a tough role that requires Sam to approach each repeated day as a new challenge. Her performance is one of the main reasons to see the film. Logan Miller makes a likable leading man as Kent and there’s strong chemistry between him and Deutch, which goes a long way. Jennifer Beals has a couple of nice scenes as Sam’s mom and Elena Kampouris shines in a sympathetic role.
Sappy and tear-stained, BEFORE I FALL is not just a well-made tear jerker that makes no apologies. It’s also a look at the unintended consequences of even the smallest actions or remarks, and a persuasive testimony to people’s ability to make meaningful changes in their own behavior and outlook. Not bad.
3 1/2 of 5 Stars
