Fran (Daisy Ridley) works diligently to a soundtrack of muffled conversations and distant flushing toilets at her small office in small-town Oregon. Life is happening around her, but she isn\u2019t a part of it. She stands on the outskirts of gatherings, unsure how to engage and desperate for the moment she can escape back to the haven of her tiny cubicle, her well-constructed spreadsheets, and the occasional daydream about her own death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These reveries would be categorized as intrusive thoughts, that is, if Fran had any desire to stop them. Instead, she cozies up and finds comfort in them. However, the arrival of new coworker Robert (Dave Merheje) also brings her solace, as his gregariousness and warmth begins to show her what she\u2019s been missing by avoiding connections with those around her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ridley may have starred in one of Hollywood\u2019s biggest franchises, more known for its special effects than its performances, but she always brought a sense of humanity to the Star Wars<\/em> universe. In Sometimes I Think About Dying<\/em>, she offers a restrained, subtle turn. Fran begins with her walls up, but smiles creep in, and Ridley gets to show more emotion as the film progresses. As Robert, Merheje has an affable charm, and it\u2019s easy to see how he is the first person to break through with Fran. Connecting with one person can open up a whole new world, offering possibilities beyond just that one-to-one relationship. Fran\u2019s interactions with Robert don\u2019t just promise a chance at love; they let her see a broader community within her town that has always felt unreachable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Audiences will likely want to diagnose Fran with a variety of challenges, including autism, social anxiety, and depression, but what\u2019s most important is that she simply struggles to interact with those around her as many introverts do. If Sometimes I Think About Dying<\/em> had given her a diagnosis, it could have lessened her relatability for some. Instead, it\u2019s easier to identify with Fran\u2019s social difficulties since many people may have felt similarly awkward or isolated at one point in their lives; it\u2019s not a diagnosable condition so much as it is the human condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The characters surrounding Fran, especially in her office, are wonderfully average people who have the most mundane, believable conversations. Brief hints (like visible email domain names in shots of computer screens) reveal that they work at a port authority, but it\u2019s unclear \u2014 and unimportant \u2014 what they actually do, making the inane chit chat and meeting ice breakers feel authentic for anyone who has spent time in an office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet while the bulk of this modest little movie is set in Fran\u2019s office and her equally unassuming home, arresting images \u2014 mostly in the shape of Fran\u2019s thoughts of death \u2014 punctuate the narrative. Cinematographer Dustin Lane turns Fran\u2019s death scenes on the beach or deep in the forest into eerie art, but he also captures the beauty of Oregon\u2019s bridges, mountains, and water, with shots of the town serving as transitions between scenes. It all looks great, but the audio makes just as significant an impact as the visuals. The score from Dabney Morris is playful, often contrasting with the dark images of Fran\u2019s imagination, and helping to set the darkly comic tone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With Sometimes I Think About Dying<\/em>, Lambert has made an earnest film full of humor and humanity that is well worth seeking out. It has its quirks \u2014 like many a character-driven indie film before it \u2014 but they feel organic to this story and its central character, rather than tacked on simply to get attention. This is a warm, wonderful movie whose emotional impact sneaks up on you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Sometimes I Think About Dying” is out Friday in limited release.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sometimes2-1024x683.jpeg\")
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