You
would hope a paramedic would respond quicker during times of crisis, but poor
Sam is apparently not so nimble. It will even get him killed—more than once. Yet,
much to his surprise, his spirit keeps taking over the bodies of his friends
(or the closest acquaintances he has) in Robi Michael’s Every Time I Die,
which opens this Friday in Los Angeles.
Between
the married woman he is obsessed with and his repressed memories of his sister’s
death during their childhood, Sam has all kinds of issues he isn’t dealing
with. Nevertheless, his partner Jay, now chipper and philosophical after
surviving a breakdown, still sufficiently values his company to invite him along
for a weekend by the lake. It should be cozy sitting around the fireplace with
Jay, his girlfriend Poppy, her sister Mia (whom Sam has been sleeping with),
and her violent-tempered husband Tyler, who just returned from a tour of duty with
the U.S. Army. Sounds like fun, right?
Of
course, Tyler turns out to be a rage-fueled psychopath, who kills Sam in a fit
of jealousy, launching his body-jumping. So much for thanking veterans for
their service and sacrifice. For Michael, they are apparently just creepy
stalkers—perfect fodder to demonize on film. It is a shame, because it
significantly detracts from a clever concept.
Michael’s
overwrought style does not help either. There are way too many woo-woo
interludes and symbolism-laden deep dives into Sam’s subconscious. As a result,
most viewers will start to feel detached from the narrative and the fantastical
Macguffin driving it. Frankly, this is probably a case where less would have
been more. The leaner, grittier Lifechanger is a prime example, especially
since it also features a protagonist whose consciousness jumps from body to
body.
Drew
Fonteiro’s repressed-to-the-point-of-lifelessness portrayal of Sam does not
help the film much during the first half hour either. Even though Tyler is a
problematic heavy, Tyler Dash White’s performance somewhat humanizes him, which
is something. Michelle and Melissa Macedo definitely look like sisters (with good
reason), but they are also pretty compelling and believable dealing with Sam,
in his various erratic acting hosts.
