Tuesday

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Daina Oniunas-Pusić directs. Alexis Zabé behind the camera. Anna Meredith scores. Arttu Salmi cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released 2 years ago.
• 2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
• 3Directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusić, shot by Alexis Zabé. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Anna Meredith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Arttu Salmi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew and Arinzé Kene carry the top of the cast.
• 7IMDB entry: tt14682800 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

Alexis Zabé

Original score

Anna Meredith

Editing

Arttu Salmi

Production design

Laura Ellis Cricks

Costume design

Jo Thompson

Makeup / hair

Tracey Wells

VFX supervisor

Andrew Simmonds

Sound

Gunnar Óskarsson

Stunt coordinator

Andy Bennett

Runtime

110 min · 1h 50m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Box office

$637,590

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Tuesday (2024) ↗

Also by

Daina Oniunas-Pusić

• 
  The Beast

  2016 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Press Your Lips Together

  2011
• 
  Rhonna & Donna

  2016

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Official Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Brent Marchant2024-06-16
  ★ 8/10

  Fables often make for intriguing storytelling and engaging cinematic experiences. And such is the case for the debut feature from writer-director Daina Oniunas-Pusic, a whimsical yet profound tale about the acceptance of death (or, more precisely, the ability to move beyond that and learn how to make friends with death). It’s told through the experience of 15-year-old Tuesday (Lola Petticrew), a terminally ill adolescent whose mother, Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), is struggling to accept the inevitable. Zora looks for excuses to avoid spending time with her daughter, because she’s unable to face the impending truth. But, when death itself suddenly and unexpectedly appears to claim Tuesday, taking the form of a talking, shape-shifting parrot (voiced by Arinzé Kene), Zora’s hand is forced. Somewhat surprisingly, Tuesday reconciles herself to her fate rather easily and subsequently ends up spending most of her remaining time trying to help her mother understand the nature of what’s about to happen – and what will unfold if it doesn’t, consequences with larger implications. In doing so, the film gets into some deeply meaningful material, presenting insights that most of us probably have never considered, let alone explored, shedding an entirely new light on the essence of death, as well as the tremendous burden it has placed on its ornithological messenger. The result is a truly moving story, one that deftly mixes joy and sadness, pathos and humor, and anger and sympathy, not only for mother and daughter, but also for death itself and the wider world of which we’re all a part. The narrative certainly gives viewers much to contemplate, introducing notions that might well raise eyebrows and perhaps even ruffle a few feathers (no pun intended) for those accustomed to more conventional interpretations of this subject. But, in the end, the picture provides a fresh, more mature take on these concepts. Admittedly, the pacing sags a touch in the middle, and the flow of the story may seem somewhat strange or a tad unfocused at times. What’s more, some may question the reasoning behind why death appears as a talking parrot (but, then again, why should it necessarily take some of the more familiar forms we have seen in other stories, such as the grim reaper, for instance?). The film features fine performances, most notably the best screen work Louis-Dreyfus has ever turned in. It also respectfully recalls material presented previously in such perceptively prescient tales as the moving Australian comedy-drama “Baby Teeth” (2019) and the classic Twilight Zone episode “Nothing in the Dark” (1962) featuring a very young Robert Redford. Still, the premise may strike some as odd, absurd or implausible, but, then, when have fables, fairy tales or opera librettos ever faithfully stuck to the tried and true? Suspend your disbelief for this one, and sit back and immerse yourself in what it has to say. You may never look at death the same way ever again.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  A24

  US

• 

  BBC Film

  GB

• 

  Cinereach

  US

• 

  Gingerbread Pictures

  GB

• 

  Record Player Films

  GB

• 

  BFI

  GB

• 

  Wild Swim Films

  GB

Key crew

• ProducerIvana MacKinnon
• ProducerHelen Gladders
• ProducerOliver Roskill
• Production DesignLaura Ellis Cricks
• Production ManagerRobert K. Harm
• Makeup DesignerTracey Wells
• Third Assistant DirectorAmir Nazempour
• Makeup SupervisorAmber Sibley
• Second Assistant DirectorGiles Barron
• Costume DesignJo Thompson
• First Assistant DirectorJeroen Bogaert
• Visual Effects ProducerTim Field
• Sound MixerSara Lima
• Stunt DoubleLisa Connell
• Set DecorationSarah Bick
• Foley ArtistIan Waggott
• Foley MixerBen Cross
• Costume SupervisorEmma Rawnsley
• Stunt CoordinatorAndy Bennett
• Executive ProducerEva Yates
• Visual Effects SupervisorAndrew Simmonds
• Sound DesignerGunnar Óskarsson
• Steadicam OperatorDoug Walshe
• Art DirectionDaniel Draper

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• woman director
• mother daughter relationship

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2023-08-31· Telluride Film Festival
• Theatrical (limited)2024-06-07R
• Theatrical2024-06-14R
• Digital2024-07-16R
• Digital2024-10-11R· Max
• TV2024-10-12R· HBO

Also known as

International titles

• Tuesday: El último abrazoAR
• Tuesday, Abrazando La VidaMX
• Tuesday (2023)US
• יום שלישיIL
• سه‌شنبهIR