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Before I'm Dead

  • 2021
  • TV-MA
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
3.7/10
344
YOUR RATING
J.R. Sawyers in Before I'm Dead (2021)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer2:07
1 Video
13 Photos
DramaSci-FiThriller

After experiencing a mass shooting that took his wife's life, Nolan now suffers Agoraphobia. Pummeled by fear, Nolan refuses to leave the confines of his home. However, when the laws of time... Read allAfter experiencing a mass shooting that took his wife's life, Nolan now suffers Agoraphobia. Pummeled by fear, Nolan refuses to leave the confines of his home. However, when the laws of time and space begin to do strange things within his apartment's walls, he must battle his fea... Read allAfter experiencing a mass shooting that took his wife's life, Nolan now suffers Agoraphobia. Pummeled by fear, Nolan refuses to leave the confines of his home. However, when the laws of time and space begin to do strange things within his apartment's walls, he must battle his fears or suffer a fate worse than death.

  • Director
    • J.R. Sawyers
  • Writers
    • Jessica Hill
    • J.R. Sawyers
  • Stars
    • Denise Boutte
    • Jerry T. Adams
    • Mark Taormino
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    3.7/10
    344
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • J.R. Sawyers
    • Writers
      • Jessica Hill
      • J.R. Sawyers
    • Stars
      • Denise Boutte
      • Jerry T. Adams
      • Mark Taormino
    • 10User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:07
    Official Trailer

    Photos12

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    + 8
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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Denise Boutte
    Denise Boutte
    • Diane
    Jerry T. Adams
    Jerry T. Adams
    • Lionel
    Mark Taormino
    Mark Taormino
    • Bar Patron
    Camille Montgomery
    Camille Montgomery
    • Carla Cruise
    Gary J. Klavans
    Gary J. Klavans
    • Otis Muggs
    Joy Ireland
    Joy Ireland
    • Server
    J.R. Sawyers
    J.R. Sawyers
    • Nolan Cruise
    Stephaun Pender
    Stephaun Pender
    • Eddie
    Aviv Bar-Tal
    Aviv Bar-Tal
    • Bar Patron
    Steven Robert ReMalia
    Steven Robert ReMalia
    • Inspirational Speaker
    Ricky Jones
    • Bar Patron
    Quincy Oshiro
    • Bar Patron
    Alexandro Rosario
    • Bar patron
    James K. Anderson
    • Bar patron
    Michelle J. Harvest
    • Crying Victim
    Cayla Komarow
    • Grace
    Anna Martinez
    • Bar patron
    Hector Beltran
    • Crawling Victim
    • Director
      • J.R. Sawyers
    • Writers
      • Jessica Hill
      • J.R. Sawyers
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    3.7344
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    Featured reviews

    10lemme7103

    Big ideas explored on a small canvas

    Enjoyed this movie very much. Like the main character, I also have agoraphobia. Though his illness is more extreme, I can definitely relate to his anxiety and fears, especially with the pandemic. Combining that concept with sci-fi in which his own apartment becomes scarier than the outside world is brilliant. It's compact tale through one man's mind.
    10paulONeil68

    Good movie 🎬

    This is one of those movies that needs a listening ear. It is great that is covers so many issues, grief and loss, fear, anxiety, mental health and a added touch of syfi. I think it was a good job well done and exploring agoraphobia and making it aware to viewers is well executed. This is a real fear and terrible condition for anyone to have. This movie gets such a poor rating and for silly reasons. I cannot say too much because I would not want to spoil this movie for anyone.

    Not all syfi films need to be spaceships and aliens and Will Smith.

    Great job to J R Sawyers, the writer director and star of the movie.
    2omendata

    Utter tosh

    Boring as hell, guy stuck in an apartment moaning woe is me whilst some apparent wormhole or singularity ripped a hole in his toilet!

    This is not Scifi do not let them fool you it is barely a drama.

    Incomprehensible mumbo jumbo you can stick it right up your bumbo!
    9henrybicker

    Unique Indie exploring many themes

    I've seen many indies with this kind of structure, but this one definitely stood out. Multiple genres here, but I'd call it a mystery before anything. Very enjoyable at a brisk 83 minutes.
    9vdior-06479

    Compelling and Unique

    The film centers around Nolan, a man whose life has quietly unraveled following the death of his wife. Withdrawing from the world, he becomes a shut-in, haunted by guilt, grief, and increasingly strange occurrences that blur the line between reality and hallucination. As the story unfolds, viewers are taken on a psychological journey that's as much about internal reckoning as it is about unraveling a mystery.

    What makes Before I'm Dead compelling is its minimalism. The film uses limited locations, a small cast, and sparse dialogue to reflect Nolan's mental and emotional isolation. That approach won't appeal to every viewer-some may find the pacing too slow or the plot too abstract-but it's intentional. Sawyers isn't trying to entertain in a traditional sense; he's inviting the audience into Nolan's headspace, and it's not a comfortable place to be.

    The performance by J. R. Sawyers, who also stars in the film, is quite affecting. There's an authenticity to his portrayal of someone numbed by loss. The supporting cast is sparse but effective, particularly in dreamlike sequences that hint at deeper emotional wounds.

    Cinematography plays a crucial role in maintaining the film's eerie, claustrophobic tone. The use of shadows, stillness, and narrow framing underscores Nolan's emotional entrapment. There are moments when the visuals alone-haunting reflections, flickering lights, and disorienting close-ups-carry more narrative weight than the dialogue. The score is similarly restrained, enhancing the tension without overwhelming it.

    One of the film's strengths lies in its ambiguity. It doesn't spoon-feed answers. Are the strange events in Nolan's house supernatural, psychological, or symbolic? The film leaves space for interpretation, which might frustrate some but will engage others who enjoy piecing together meaning through subtext and visual clues.

    Thematically, Before I'm Dead explores grief, guilt, and the human tendency to hide from pain rather than confront it. It touches on mental health, the difficulty of connection in a digital age, and the ways people punish themselves for their perceived failures. Though the story is small in scope, its emotional implications are broad.

    Still, Before I'm Dead is a bold, introspective piece of indie cinema that dares to sit with uncomfortable emotions. It doesn't offer easy resolutions or dramatic payoffs, but it resonates in its quiet moments of truth and sorrow. It's the kind of film that lingers-not because of what happens, but because of how it makes you feel.

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    Thriller

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      The film's budget was less than $15,000 and was shot during the beginning of the pandemic within J.R. Sawyers apartment with no crew.
    • Soundtracks
      Hiding the Truth
      and "Chemistry"

      Written and Performed by The Dot and the Line

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 2, 2021 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook Page
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Culver City, California, USA(Nolan Cruise's Apartment and Building)
    • Production companies
      • Crimson Wing Films
      • Nerve Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 23m(83 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39:1

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