Before I Fall (film)

Did You Know?

• The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 30, 2017, in the United States by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
• Kian Lawley won the 2017 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Drama Actor for his role in the film.
• The film also screened in Italy at the Giffoni Film Festival on July 18, 2017.

Plot

Sam Kingston wakes up on February 12, Cupid's Day, and is picked up by her friends Lindsay, Ally, and Elody. They are eager about her plan to have sex with her boyfriend Rob that night. During a class lecture on Sisyphus, roses are handed out. Sam gets one from Rob and another from Kent McFuller, a childhood friend who has feelings for her. Kent invites her to his party, but she is not interested. At lunch, the group mocks Juliet Sykes, an outcast they consider a psycho. At the party, Lindsay gets into a fight with Juliet, and other guests pour beer on her. Humiliated, Juliet leaves crying. On the drive home, Sam and her friends die in a car crash.

Sam wakes up in her room on Cupid's Day again, thinking it was a nightmare, but the same events repeat, ending in another crash. She realizes she is stuck in a time loop. She convinces the group to have a sleepover instead of going to the party. They avoid the crash but later find out Juliet killed herself that day. Sam also learns that Lindsay and Juliet used to be best friends. As the loops continue, Sam starts speaking her mind, spending time with people she cares about, making amends with a bullied student named Anna Cartullo, and growing closer to Kent. At the party, Kent remembers that Sam once stood up for him after his father died, and they kiss.

Sam hears the fight between Lindsay and Juliet and chases Juliet into the woods. Juliet explains that Lindsay's parents' constant fighting before their divorce made Lindsay start wetting the bed. On a camping trip, Lindsay wet her sleeping bag but blamed Juliet, and has bullied her ever since. Juliet then runs in front of Lindsay's car, killing herself. Sam realizes that Juliet was the person they hit in the original crash.

Production

Fox 2000 Pictures secured the film rights to Lauren Oliver's debut novel in July 2010, with Maria Maggenti adapting the story and Jonathan Shestack producing alongside Ginny Pennekamp. The screenplay made the Black List in 2011. Gina Prince-Bythewood was set to direct in 2012, but that fell through; Ry Russo-Young later took over. Zoey Deutch landed the lead role of Samantha Kingston in September 2015. Brian Robbins and Matthew Kaplan produced through Awesomeness Films, with production beginning in late October 2015. That same month, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Diego Boneta, and Elena Kampouris joined the cast. Jennifer Beals was added in November to play Samantha's mother, and Liv Hewson was cast as Anna Cartullo. Adam Taylor composed the score. Principal photography started November 16, 2015, at Quest University in Squamish, British Columbia, and around Vancouver, wrapping on December 19, 2015.

Reception

Before I Fall grossed $12.2 million in the United States and Canada and $6.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $18.9 million. It opened alongside The Shack and Logan, projected to gross around $4 million in its opening weekend, and debuted to $4.69 million. In its second weekend, it grossed $3.1 million, dropping 34% and finishing 6th. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 64% approval rating based on 124 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10; the critical consensus states: Before I Falls familiar ingredients are enlivened by a fresh YA perspective and a strong performance from emerging star Zoey Deutch. On Metacritic, it has a score of 58 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. CinemaScore audiences gave an average grade of B, and PostTrak reported a 72% overall positive score. Abbey Bender of Uproxx gave a generally positive review, praising Ry Russo-Young's direction but disliking the ending. AllMovie gave 2.5 stars out of 5, and Susan Wloszczyna of RogerEbert.com gave 3 out of 4.