Review: Before I Fall

A Groundhog Day for the YA set, Before I Fall finds heroine Sam Kingston (Zoey Deutch) reliving the same day over and over again, attempting to understand why she's caught in a seemingly infinite loop.

Adapted from Lauren Oliver's successful novel, Sam's day begins just before 7AM on February 12th, the day of her high school Cupid's Day. It's a day like any other, but also one that she has designated to be an important one for she plans on losing her virginity to boyfriend Rob (Kian Lawley) at a party later that night. Bright and attractive, she's the most seemingly grounded of her friends, who form a quartet of self-proclaimed "bitches" who rule the school, but she is just as capable of being a mean girl as the rest of her friends.

The girls - which include alpha female Lindsay (Halston Sage), shy but secretly smart Ally (Cynthy Wu), and party girl Elody (Medalion Rahimi) - are particularly merciless to Juliet Sykes (Elena Kampouris), a social outcast who used to be Lindsay's childhood friend. Juliet's appearance at the party is just another thing that goes wrong that night - Rob is too drunk to perform and all four girls are involved in a fatal car accident.

Except somehow Sam wakes up the next morning, alive and well, but forced to experience the same day again and again. It doesn't matter what she does to prevent the car accident or to make reparations with the people to which she's been unkind, she still awakens to the 12th of February. It isn't until she realises that her fate might be tied to one specific person that her Sisyphean situation might potentially come to an end.

Before I Fall isn't especially outstanding, but there is a great deal to appreciate about it. It conveys its message with simplicity, and it's refreshing that Sam's redemption isn't tied into picking the right boy but rather one that's empowering to the sisterhood. It's a solid piece of work with accomplished contributions from its behind-the-scenes crew. Director Ry Russo-Young elicits fine performances from his young cast, and nurtures the back stories that screenwriter Maria Maggenti carefully establishes for the characters. Deutch is a warm and appealing performer, and her wide-ranging portrayal conveys the many dimensions of her character.

Before I Fall

Directed by: Ry Russo-Young

Written by: Maria Maggenti; based on the novel by Lauren Oliver

Starring: Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Elena Kampouris, Cynthy Wu, Medalion Rahimi, Liv Hewson, Jennifer Beals