150 Word Review: 'Tuesday' (2024)

This is an ex-parrot

Photo: Wild Swim Films

Tuesday is visually murky and tonally indecisive, and yet, it's still an engaging showcase for Julia Louis Dreyfus as the sharp-elbowed mom of a dying teenage girl. Lola Petticrew is appealing as a clever young woman facing the end, frustrated by a mother in denial. Arinze Kene is the voice of Death, a filthy, one-eyed macaw that can grow huge or tiny, like Alice. With a flutter of his wings, all Earthly suffering is relieved.

This is director Daina Oniunas-Pusić’s first feature, and it struggles to strike the right balance between experimental tearjerker and cosmic comedy. The movie recalls classic stories of heroes negotiating with the Grim Reaper and does so in an original way. The otherworldly bird is a surprising creation, whimsical and scary, a harbinger of doom that raps. Dreyfus anchors Tuesday, delivering a vulnerable performance in a downer role that makes room for her considerable comedic talents.

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