10 reasons to watch OtherLife
OtherLife is now streaming on Netflix! And perhaps you’re thinking, why should I watch your movie?
- If you’ve read Solitaire, you’ll be intrigued by the story differences; and if you haven’t read it, you don’t need to. The screenwriting experience was particularly fun for me because I got to explore the same emotional territory through two different sets of story events.
- The protagonist, Ren, drives the story. She makes her own mistakes and earns her own triumphs. She is not a manic pixie dream girl, a tits-first badass rebel chick, or a mothering-instinct-driven character. She is smart. She makes human choices and experiences human consequences. I worked hard over the years of development to create and maintain this sense of agency for Ren, and I gotta tell you it wasn’t always easy.
- The Guardian says: “…a darkly charismatic leading performance from Jessica De Gouw.” Jess carries the film with confidence and intensity. She does a terrific job.
- It’s a beautiful film! Cinematographer Dan Freene did amazing work — go take a look at these gorgeous stills.
- And beautifully directed. It was magical to be in Perth for six days on set and watch Ben Lucas work with the cast and crew. Ben’s sensibility as a director strikes me as a mixture of control and curiousity: let’s plan and then let’s see where we go. Find his first feature, Wasted On The Young, also on Netflix.
- The Hollywood Reporter says: “… [OtherLife’s] puzzles could prove catnip to genre fans who thrill to fare such as FX’s Legion that blurs the line between real worlds and virtual ones.” Many folks have already told me that they want to watch it again in order to track the nuances of the plot unfolding, and the layers of Ren’s emotional journey.
- Helen O’Loan’s fabulous production design strikes all the right emotional notes. Check out these design docs. And wait until you see the cell in action….
- The hypnotic, evocative, powerful music by Jed Palmer, with cello performance by Zoë Barry, both of Zalumma Agra.
- The brilliant editing by Leanne Cole that keeps the film moving fast while also going deep at all the right moments. I’m fascinated by editing, and I felt very lucky to watch dailies during the time I was there. I drank beer and listened to creative experts talk about the impact of shots, motion, camera work, acting… With Leanne filing it all into the warehouse of her brain, already starting to build the visual story.
- And finally — because there is so much of me in this film. Three writers share credit, and the script would not be the same without the intelligence, ideas, and hard work of Gregory Widen and Ben Lucas. But the heart of this script is mine. I created these specific characters, these relationships, these human quandaries. They come from everything I know so far about being human, and writing. I don’t think I know nearly enough about either of those yet. But I’m working on it. And I want to share.
Interested in learning more about making OtherLife? Read the behind-the-scenes articles on The OtherLife Journals. More are coming: I have a lot of stories to tell.
Want to help boost the signal on the film? Take a moment to rate it on Netflix, and on Rotten Tomatoes — these ratings really matter in terms of helping people discover the film. If you know a film reviewer, ask them to consider writing a review. Write your own blog post or social media update. It all helps the film reach as many people as possible.
The launch of OtherLife is the culmination of a long time of work and wait and wonder for me, folks. Now the film starts its own journey out in the world, meeting people and making friends. I hope you’ll watch, and enjoy.
