Tuesday
Written and Directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusic
Starring Arinzé Kene, Lola Petticrew, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Leah Harvey
Runtime 1 hour and 51 minutes
MPAA Rating R for language
Now Playing in theaters

by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief & Old Sport

“All beings in the world fear me…”

When Death comes knocking at our door there really is only one choice… to let them in. Much like an unsolicited guest, the grim reaper has no concern for whether now is an optimal time to drop by. The reaping business is hectic and Death does not have a moment to spare. Some attempt to be prepared or even try to look their best for the big day, but in the end this is an outcome that is out of their hands. Simply put, when you’re time is up, its up. For those closest to the soon to be departed, attempting to battle Death is a fight that will only end in misery.

In Daina Oniunas-Pusic’s feature debut Tuesday, they explore how loved ones sometimes are more resistant to let go than those that are facing their demise. Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is having trouble coping with her daughter Tuesday’s (Lola Petticrew) imminent passing. While Tuesday finds herself in the final stages of her terminal illness and pines for a connection with her mother, Zora does everything in her power to avoid dealing with the situation at hand. The majority of her day consists of driving around town, pretending to be at work, selling off her household items to make ends meet, eating cheese, and falling asleep on park benches. While this may sound like a heavy subject matter, it should be noted that there is quite a bit of humor sprinkled throughout the film that endears you to the characters and keeps the story from being too much to handle.

Death (Arinzé Kene) comes in the form of a talking bird and, when Tuesday is paid a visit from Death, she asks to have a final moment to say goodbye to her mom. This request is reluctantly accommodated and inevitably results in a huge mistake. Upon meeting the winged creature, Zora goes to violent measures to ensure that her daughter will not be taken from this mortal coil. Her decision to ignore fate causes both Zora and Tuesday to embark on an emotional journey to face the realities of life, love, and death.

Every person’s time on this plane of existence has a deadline and it is not something that can be avoided. In some instances a person’s departure can seem unfair, especially when taken at a young age. Tuesday, shows that even if a life ends at what may be deemed prematurely, it is imperative for those closest to the individual to confront the loss. In much of the story, Zora is witnessed putting her feelings before her daughter. This is cause for much of Tuesday’s strife as she is not only battling a sickness but is now in a fight for her mother’s attention. Tuesday’s health is something out of her control, but she believes she can still find solace with her mother which in many ways seems to keep her from letting go.

At the heart of this fantasy tale, I felt there was a stress on the importance of communication between those that are closest to us. Both Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew do an exemplary job at portraying individuals that find themselves in a dire situation. Each give powerhouse performances that will manage to hit you at your core. With a fatal disease, there is no light at the end of the tunnel and as a caregiver or family member it is easy to forget that, especially while one is trying to process their own emotions. One scene that really hit me was when Zora realized that she needed to do what was right for her daughter and that was the action of letting her go. Throughout most of the movie, Tuesday is in physical pain and it is clear that keeping her from her final destination is only cause for more discomfort. Tuesday shows why it is important to not only allow a person to say goodbye, but to leave us.

Overall I think Oniunas-Pusic provides an interesting take on life and death. There were moments in which I felt the pacing was a bit sluggish, but with this being a feature debut, these issues are forgivable. Grief may never leave us but it can be slowly be replaced with our euphoric memories. Tuesday offers a view of the afterlife that made me realize, in the end, it is our choice to allow our loved ones the ability to continue their life, by allowing them to live through us.