An exploration of death within a complex mother-daughter relationship, Croatian filmmaker Daina Oniunas-Pusić’s directorial debut Tuesday follows stubborn single mother Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and terminally-ill teenage daughter Tuesday (Lola Petticrew) when they are visited in their London apartment by Death (Arinzé Kene) who takes the form of a mysterious macaw.
Part coming-of-age, part comedy, and part fantasy, this newly-released A24 film is a surreal ode to death. From its surprisingly-breathtaking visuals—save for Death himself whose CGI is, at times, a bit too goofy even for me—to its incredibly creative use of sound (who knew old-school hip-hop and teenage-girl-flavored sarcasm is all Death needed to keep those tortuous voices at bay!), this film is an entertaining watch in spite of its discussion of heavy subject matter such as illness, death, and grief.
While its witty main character Tuesday is reminiscent of Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars, this film’s charm comes from its more unusual elements: Death’s loud aura being soothed by a sink bath from Tuesday; Zora’s animalistic reaction to Death’s presence; and the Beau is Afraid-esque apocalypse that erupts as a result of Zora’s desire to keep her daughter alive at all costs.
It's unlike any film I've ever seen, and that's only bolstered by the amazing performances of its cast. Dreyfus shines here alongside Petticrew and fellow non-binary talent Leah Harvey, who steps into the role of Tuesday's nurse who must help subdue her patient's larger-than-life mother.
In spite of its mishmashed genres and out-of-left-field third act, I was thoroughly touched by Tuesday, a cinematic love-letter to mothers, daughters, and Death itself.
While I understand this film might not be to everyone’s tastes, I still highly recommend checking out this women-run project, even if you’re only interested in Julia Louis-Dreyfus embodying Death (seriously, watch this movie!).
