5 reasons I picked up this DVD
- An attractive cover
- The name M. Night Shyamalan
- A small hint of an intriguing concept
- The fact that it’s not available on Netflix
- It’s free and available
It could have gone either way. Luckily it didn’t disappoint.
What it’s about?
What if your life was reduced to a single day? The idea of being trapped (with mostly strangers!) and uncontrollably aging taps into some universal fears – of life passing you by, of your life being wasted, of being tossed aside and forgotten, of failing to protect your children, of being not in control or helpless.
5 reasons why you should pick up this DVD
- It is written, directed, produced (and a cameo) by M. Night Shyamalan but fun fact it is also a family affair! That’s right his daughter, Ishana, is the second director and another of his daughters, Saleka, wrote the song featured in the film. Talented family for sure.
- Its message resonates. It reminds us that life goes by so fast and not to wish time away, to appreciate and be present. (It’s fitting then that it was made during the height of the pandemic.)
- It’s clever. It makes you think but is also easy to watch. The premise is captivating and hooks you straight away and the characters with their purposefully chosen different accents feel real and represent people of the world (not a cliché Hollywood version).
- It’s well made. The slightly off-kilter claustrophobic filming style has you feeling something is often just out of sight and conveys the characters’ fear, desperation, and hopelessness. I also appreciated the (mostly) lack of over-the-top effects that could have been an easy go-to with the aging rapidly idea (with the exception of the horror style bone-crunching deformity of one character’s demise that was gross and heart thumping, and I can’t decide if it was affective or a step too far?!)
- The denouement – one of my favourite ways of basically saying the ending or conclusion. People often remark about M Night Shyamalan’s movies and the twist endings. I didn’t really feel this one had an ohhh-ahh-gasp ending. But I was actually ok with that. The ending has a bit of a surprise but I wouldn’t say it was a twist and shocking. But it did work well for the film and the story. It made sense and didn’t feel forced. I felt satisfied.
BONUS Reason: the special features on the DVD are quite interesting and not too long. If you are into that kind of thing.