Before I Disappear
A suicidal young man’s overnight babysitting duty becomes a turbulent Manhattan journey toward renewed human connection.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- darkly comic
- tense
- late night viewing
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film's stylish cinematography and strong performances while finding its expanded story overwrought and unevenly paced.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Richie's attempted suicide is interrupted when Maggie asks him to babysit Sophia, forcing him into an unexpected night of responsibility.
The uncle and niece travel through Manhattan after dark, encountering unlikely people and places during their improvised odyssey.
Richie and Sophia form an unexpected bond while he cares for her during a single turbulent night.
The film combines suicide-related despair and troubled relationships with a madcap, sometimes humorous New York excursion.
Films like Before I Disappear, and why
After Hours
shares a darkly comic overnight odyssey through New York, escalating encounters, and emotionally bruised protagonists
The Skeleton Twins
shares intimate urban melancholy, family connection, and a troubled protagonist seeking fragile emotional repair
Little Miss Sunshine
shares a suicidal crisis transformed by an unexpected child-centered responsibility, balancing bleakness with tenderness
Lost in Translation
shares nocturnal city wandering, strained relationships, and a dramatic-comic tonal blend rooted in personal despair
Movie Details
- Director
- Shawn Christensen
- Release Date
- 2014-10-11
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (198)
Cast
- Shawn Christensen
- Fatima Ptacek
- Emmy Rossum
- Paul Wesley
- Ron Perlman
- Richard Schiff
- Fran Kranz
- Hani Avital
- Isabelle McNally
- Sean Ringgold
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Before I Disappear about?
- A suicidal young man’s overnight babysitting duty becomes a turbulent Manhattan journey toward renewed human connection.
- What is Before I Disappear like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Before I Disappear as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Before I Disappear violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Before I Disappear as mild.
- What did critics think of Before I Disappear?
- Critics broadly recognized the film's stylish cinematography and strong performances while finding its expanded story overwrought and unevenly paced.
- Which films are like Before I Disappear?
- Films with a similar feel include After Hours, The Skeleton Twins, Little Miss Sunshine, and Lost in Translation.
- How long is Before I Disappear?
- Before I Disappear runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Before I Disappear?
- In United States, Before I Disappear streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now.
