A Sublime & Wildly Creative Exploration of the Inevitable

Summary

• Zora’s determination to fight for her daughter in the face of death is truly inspiring.
• The film expertly combines humor and heartbreak while exploring the inevitability of loss.
• Death is portrayed as a tortured soul rather than a malicious figure, providing unique insights into life’s end.

What if Death weren’t an ominous figure shrouded in a black cloak and sickle but a shape-shifting red macaw parrot with a lonely disposition and a penchant for gangsta rap music? Tuesday, the brilliant feature debut of filmmaker Daina O. Pusić, evokes tears and raucous laughter in a sublime exploration of life’s inevitable end. Julia Louis-Dreyfus delivers one of the best performances of her acclaimed career as a mother who refuses to accept her terminally ill daughter’s fate. Tuesday takes audiences on a wildly creative journey into the most tragic of circumstances. Losing a loved one is absolutely devastating. How we continue in the aftermath must reflect their cherished memory while forging a new path for ourselves.

A man gasps his last breath as a cacophony of voices thunder. The camera lingers on his face, revealing something strange curled near his eyelid. Death (Arinzé Kene) flies off toward his next lethal objective with gnarly wings flapping in the wind. What was once bright and red is now covered in grimy black dirt. Death lands in a nearby lot with a massive thud. Another soon-to-be-departed man watches in terror as the now gigantic bird approaches. Death winces in pain after his somber duty. The unbearable, unrelenting noise of people begging for the end continues.

In a London suburb, Zora (Louis-Dreyfus) kisses her 15-year-old daughter before giving instructions to Nurse Billie (Leah Harvey). Tuesday (Lola Petticrew), frail and ghostly white, huffs for breath even though she has oxygen tubes in her nose. Zora races out the front door without saying goodbye. Nurse Billie takes Tuesday into the backyard for fresh air. She needs to set up her bath but plays Tuesday’s favorite song before leaving.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Refuses to Accept Fate

Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” blares as Tuesday starts to slump in the courtyard. She rips out her breathing tubes as the situation becomes dire. She’s stunned when Death appears in front of her. Tuesday understands her time has come but requests a favor. She courageously asks for the chance to call her mother. Meanwhile, in a nearby park, Zora sits by herself. She ignores her phone as it rings repeatedly.

Pusić, a Croatian writer known for her award-winning short films, surprisingly sets a humorous tone after a creepy and strange opening. Death isn’t a malicious figure who enjoys his macabre work. He’s a tortured soul bound for eternity to bring peace to the suffering. Tuesday’s reaction to his presence caught him off guard. She has no illusions about surviving her illness, which is never specified. Their first conversation offers remarkable insights into two beings at the last spectrum of life.

Zora’s behavior isn’t strange, given the harsh reality her beloved daughter faces. Scenes of her bathing, feeding, and struggling to carry Tuesday are heartbreaking. Pusić succinctly portrays the taxing emotional, physical, and financial difficulties that caregivers face. Zora has become almost mechanical in these tasks. It’s part of her coping mechanism to handle a crisis that completely clouds her future. She acts as if Tuesday will not die and miraculously recover. Her daughter will beat the odds. She’ll get to be a vibrant teenager again.

Death Slowly Approaches in Tuesday

Zora admonishes Nurse Billie for having the audacity to tell her that Tuesday’s time is fleeting. She must make every second with her child count. Zora hides from the awful truth. She cannot imagine an existence without Tuesday. Her first interaction with Death is mind-blowing. Let’s just say she’s willing to fight dirty. Zora represents every parent’s nerve and willpower. There’s nothing she won’t do to try and save her daughter, but she ends up paying a truly unexpected price.

Tuesday must be lauded for its seamless visual effects. Death interacts with the characters in odd ways. For example, he can hide in Tuesday’s ear to whisper his thoughts or be cupped in her hands. Pusić changes the camera’s perspective to reflect his varying size. It’s hard to describe how this looks. The most important thing is that these scenes are believable. There’s a physical intimacy with Death that takes hold as the narrative progresses. You’ll blink in disbelief at where Pusić takes these bizarrely intimate moments.

Tuesday’s Third Act Is Heartbreaking

Tuesday’s third act is a whirlwind of spectacle and grief. Not all of it works, but the searing impact of loss hits like a freight train. Louis-Dreyfus is damn good at the point of no return. She embodies the anguish felt watching our dear loved ones draw their last breaths. Pusić teaches an important philosophical lesson about what it takes to move on from such a crushing blow. We desperately hope for the opportunity to see them again. But existential questions about God, a possible afterlife, and finding purpose in the void aren’t easily answered. Embrace life and pursue meaningful happiness. That is the gift we owe the dead.

Tuesday is a production of A24, BBC Film, BFI, and Cinereach, et al. It will be released theatrically in New York on June 7, with national distribution on June 14 from A24.