Tuesday, 2024.
Written and Directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusic.
Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, Arinzé Kene, Leah Harvey, Jay Simpson, Ellie James, Ewens Abid, Nathan Amzi, Taru Devani, Nathan Ives-Moiba, Hugh Futcher, Dan Shaw, Justin Edwards, and Florencia Nunez.
SYNOPSIS:
A mother and her teenage daughter must confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking bird.
Writer/director Daina Oniunas-Pusic’s Tuesday is a wavelength feature. It’s a bizarre gem where Death appears in the form of an oversized, colorful, talking macaw (somewhat resembling the Froot Loops bird) and drops in on the fractured relationship between Julia Louis Dreyfus’ Zora and her terminally ill, dying teenage daughter played by Lola Petticrew, Tuesday.
Yes, the bird (a deep-voiced Arinzé Kene conforming to how one would expect a Grim Reaper would sound) has arrived to gracefully assist Tuesday in crossing over into whatever lies beyond life and seemingly does this for countless individuals 24/7. Stuck in Death’s head is a cacophony of pained voices that he moves from one to the next, putting them out of their misery by waving his wing over their faces, even if they aren’t necessarily ready to accept death. So it’s only fitting that Death is caught off guard when the wheelchair-bound Tuesday is relaxed about her fate and more interested in joking around with this bird and cleaning him up. They can learn from one another and discover a mutual appreciation for a certain Ice Cube song that fits into this surreal blend more than it might sound, even when Death is rapping along to the lyrics.
Lola Petticrew sells the connection with Arinzé Kene while delivering a moving, soulful turn that, well-grounded, naturally fits into the fantastical dynamic. There is also a pleasant subversiveness in depicting a physically disabled character helping someone (or something) else with striking dignity regarding what inevitably has to happen, even if human and mystical creatures are becoming friends. It’s down-to-earth, supremely weird, unexpectedly funny, and emotionally compelling with a laid-back narrative flow.
Take the on-screen visualization of Death; it’s a CGI bird with unremarkable, unconvincing animation. This would be a jarring, negative distraction in a more conventional studio blockbuster. Here, the special-effects mediocrity is acceptable since the filmmakers are actually doing something stimulating with the concept, the budget was likely tight, and because having something that doesn’t quite look real in a film where everything is fantastical, literal and serious-minded but still off only adds to the quirky tone. The bird can also shrink and grow, which is also used for some imaginative shots, such as the inside of Tuesday’s ear, or for disorienting perceptions that play into the oddness of everything here.
More fascinating is that Tuesday doesn’t abide by metaphor logic. Although it initially seems as if Death might be more symbolic than anything and a creature used to deliver wisdom to the dying girl about how to reconnect with her checked-out mother who hasn’t come around fully to accept the situation of her daughter, this is not fantasy. The bird exists in reality, so Tuesday tries to hide it when her mom comes home. She also tries to break through to her, quietly but bluntly stating she is going to die tonight, only to be met with a frustrated “why would you say something like that” response. Their later scenes together earn every heartstring tugged and tear shed.
However, no one can escape death. As such, the bird eventually emerges from secrecy, leading to a thrillingly nutty sequence that is also devastating in its implication that Zora would rather try murdering Death itself than accept her daughter’s terminal illness. All parents would probably react similarly if confronted with the entity that would take their child from one plane of existence to the next. Where Tuesday goes from there is also strange and confounding, with mother and daughter finally having hard conversations with one another, still sometimes arguing, but also with revelations coming to the surface.
Even though Tuesday successfully explores heavy themes of death, grief, existence, and memory more than fleshing Zora and Tuesday out as characters, it still slowly builds (there is a tighter 90-minute edit in here somewhere) to heartbreaking devastation and catharsis. It’s also not subtle about those themes, but sincerity, strong performances, and bonkers creative swings go a long way. The film peaks with a masterful display of emotions from Julia Louis Dreyfus, encompassing everything from sorrow to laughter to acceptance; it’s a stirring reminder that comedians can typically match the best dramatic performers. Similarly, Daina Oniunas-Pusic has crafted a film that only gets more rewarding when you give yourself to its weird and wild tempo, exuding a distinct cinematic voice.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
