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New Movies: We're All Gonna Die (2024) by Matthew Arnold & Freddie Wong: An Apocalyptic Road Trip for Lost Belongings and Found Connection

  • Writer: dailyentertainment95
    dailyentertainment95
  • 58 minutes ago
  • 8 min read

Core Summary: Surviving the Mundane Apocalypse with an Alien Spike

We're All Gonna Die (2024), co-directed by Matthew Arnold and Freddie Wong (known for their digital content and web series like RocketJump), is a sci-fi comedy-drama set in a near future where humanity has surprisingly adapted to a colossal, 10,000-mile long alien "spike" that has materialized in Earth's sky, occasionally causing strange teleportation events. Years after its appearance, a struggling beekeeper, Thalia (Ashly Burch), and an emotionally raw EMT, Kai (Jordan Rodrigues), are forced to team up. Their reluctant road trip across the country is initiated by the sudden, inexplicable teleportation of Thalia's bees and Kai's car. As they journey through a world that has normalized the surreal, the film explores themes of grief, human connection, and resilience in the face of an ongoing, low-key apocalypse. It's a blend of romantic dramedy and sci-fi, focusing on the intimate human story amidst the bizarre, new normal.

Summary Short: Two Strangers, an Alien Spike, and a Quest for Teleported Stuff

In a near-future where a giant alien spike hangs in the sky, causing random teleportation, a grieving beekeeper and a heartbroken EMT embark on a cross-country road trip to retrieve their teleported belongings. "We're All Gonna Die" blends sci-fi, comedy, and drama to explore human connection amidst a normalized apocalypse.

Detailed Summary: The Mundane End of the World

  • The setting is a near-future Earth where a massive alien "spike" has appeared in the sky, spanning thousands of miles. This otherworldly phenomenon occasionally causes objects to randomly teleport across vast distances.

  • Crucially, humanity has largely adapted to this new reality. The initial panic has subsided, and people have settled into a strange new normal, accepting the omnipresent spike and its unpredictable effects as a fact of life.

  • The story centers on two protagonists forced together by circumstance: Thalia (Ashly Burch), a struggling beekeeper who is still grieving the loss of her husband and young daughter, and Kai (Jordan Rodrigues), an EMT who is mourning the recent suicide of a friend.

  • Their paths converge when Thalia's precious bees and Kai's car are simultaneously teleported from their current location to a distant part of the country by the alien spike.

  • Reluctantly, they form an unlikely alliance for a cross-country road trip to retrieve their teleported belongings. This journey serves as the primary narrative device, allowing their relationship to develop.

  • As they travel, they encounter a series of quirky characters and absurd situations that highlight the bizarre normalization of their apocalyptic world. These encounters often serve as comedic filler, though some critics found them extraneous.

  • The film explores their individual processes of grief and healing, using the external, surreal threat of the alien spike as a backdrop against which their personal struggles unfold.

  • Despite the grand sci-fi premise, the film remains grounded in its human characters and their emotional journeys. It's less about the alien threat itself and more about how people cope and connect in a world where existential dread is just part of daily life.

  • The CGI effects for the spike are noted as well-done despite a likely limited budget, creating a mysterious and imposing presence on the horizon.

  • The climax of the film features more trippy, surreal effects, reminiscent of other mind-bending sci-fi films.

  • The movie's title, "We're All Gonna Die," reflects the pervasive low-level anxiety of a world living under a constant, unpredictable threat, but the tone is often surprisingly hopeful, focusing on human resilience and connection.

  • The film runs for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes (110 minutes).

Plot Summary: Road Trip Through The New Abnormal

  • A giant alien "spike" hangs in Earth's sky, occasionally teleporting objects. Humanity has adjusted to this new normal.

  • Grieving beekeeper Thalia and emotionally raw EMT Kai find their crucial belongings (bees and a car) teleported across the country.

  • They reluctantly team up for a cross-country road trip to retrieve their items.

  • Along their journey, they encounter various eccentric characters and bizarre situations, showcasing a world that has normalized the absurd.

  • As they travel, they confront their personal grief and begin to form an unexpected connection.

  • The film culminates in a visually striking sequence, highlighting the surreal nature of their world.

  • Ultimately, it's a story of human resilience and connection amidst a low-key apocalypse, where the focus is on personal healing.

Director's Vision: Emotional Core in a Bizarre World

  • Humanizing the Apocalypse: Matthew Arnold and Freddie Wong aimed to explore a near-apocalyptic scenario not through grand spectacle or horror, but through a deeply human, character-driven lens. Their vision was to show how people "muddle through" and adapt to catastrophe.

  • Metaphorical Alien Threat: The alien "spike" was conceived during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, explicitly serving as a metaphor for an omnipresent, unpredictable threat that society learns to live with. They wanted to capture the feeling of an ongoing, background dread.

  • Romantic Dramedy in Sci-Fi: The directors intended to fuse elements of drama, romance, and comedy, creating a "romantic dramedy" within a sci-fi framework. The core was the emotional journey and connection between Thalia and Kai.

  • Efficiency and Nimbleness in Indie Filmmaking: Given it was their first feature film shot during the pandemic with a small indie crew, their vision heavily relied on a "run-and-gun" shooting style, emphasizing speed, agility, and versatile equipment to maintain quality on a limited budget.

  • Character-Driven Focus: Despite the sci-fi premise, the directors prioritized the internal lives of their characters, using the external events to push their emotional arcs rather than focusing on the mechanics of the alien threat.

Themes: Grief and Healing, Human Connection, Adaptation, and Existential Normalization

  • Grief and Healing: Both protagonists are dealing with profound personal loss, and their journey together becomes a metaphor for processing grief and finding a way forward.

  • Human Connection: The film highlights the importance of human relationships and unexpected bonds forged in extraordinary circumstances, emphasizing how connection can be a form of salvation.

  • Adaptation and Resilience: It explores humanity's capacity to adapt to even the most bizarre and threatening realities, demonstrating a unique form of resilience by simply "muddling through."

  • Existential Normalization: A key theme is the normalization of the absurd or apocalyptic; the alien spike becomes a part of everyday life, leading to questions about what it means to be alive when the world constantly faces potential doom.

  • Finding Purpose in Chaos: The quest to retrieve lost belongings, though seemingly mundane against an apocalyptic backdrop, gives the characters purpose and a tangible goal to drive their journey.

Key Success Factors: Beloved Creators, Strong Leads, and Unique Premise

  • Freddie Wong and Matthew Arnold's Established Fanbase: As creators of popular YouTube channel RocketJump and various web series, they bring a pre-existing fanbase eager to see their feature film debut.

  • Engaging Lead Performances: Ashly Burch and Jordan Rodrigues are praised for their strong onscreen chemistry and ability to carry the film, making their characters compelling despite script limitations.

  • Unique High-Concept Premise: The idea of an alien apocalypse that humanity has simply gotten used to offers a fresh, intriguing twist on the sci-fi genre.

  • SXSW Premiere: Debuting at a major festival like South by Southwest provided a platform for early buzz and critical attention.

  • Indie Spirit: The film's independent production style and the directors' willingness to explore a personal story within a genre framework resonated with some critics.

Awards and Nominations: SXSW Narrative Feature Competition

We're All Gonna Die had its world premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition at the 2024 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival. While it did not win major awards at SXSW, its selection for the competition section indicates its recognition as a significant independent film.

Critics Reception: Mixed – Praised for Leads, Criticized for Pacing and Script

Critical reception for We're All Gonna Die has been mixed. Reviews frequently praise the performances of the two lead actors, Ashly Burch and Jordan Rodrigues, highlighting their chemistry and emotional depth as the strongest elements of the film.

However, a common criticism is that the film's concept, while intriguing, feels "stretched too far" to fill a feature-length runtime, often leading to a slow pace and "filler" content. Some critics noted inconsistencies in the film's internal logic and a script that wasn't consistently engaging or clever. The metaphorical nature of the alien spike, while intentional, was sometimes seen as "clumsy."

Overall Summary of Critics Reception: Critics generally acknowledge the film's ambition and the compelling performances of its leads, but many found its execution uneven, with a good short film concept stretched thin, leading to a mixed bag of a sci-fi dramedy.

Reviews: Charming Leads in a Stretched Narrative

Reviews from audiences and critics suggest We're All Gonna Die is a film with charming and well-acted lead characters navigating an original, if somewhat underdeveloped, premise. Many viewers appreciate the film's unique take on an apocalypse, focusing on the human elements rather than large-scale destruction. The chemistry between Ashly Burch and Jordan Rodrigues is a consistent highlight, carrying the emotional weight of the story. However, common feedback points to the film's pacing, with some finding it drags in places, and a narrative that could have benefited from a tighter script. Despite its flaws, fans of the directors' previous work and those looking for a quirky, character-driven sci-fi story might find it an enjoyable watch.

Why to Watch This Movie: Quirky Sci-Fi with Heart

  • If you're a fan of Freddie Wong and Matthew Arnold's unique blend of sci-fi and comedy: This is their first feature film and reflects their distinct style.

  • For compelling lead performances and chemistry: Ashly Burch and Jordan Rodrigues are praised for their strong acting and believable connection.

  • If you enjoy quirky, character-driven sci-fi: The film offers a refreshing, intimate take on an apocalypse, focusing on human resilience rather than grand action.

  • For a unique take on themes of grief and coping: The film subtly explores how individuals process loss in a world that has normalized constant existential threats.

  • If you appreciate independent filmmaking that takes creative risks: It attempts to blend genres and explore a high-concept idea on a smaller scale.

Movie Trend: Post-Apocalyptic Normalization & Indie Sci-Fi Dramedy

We're All Gonna Die aligns with the emerging movie trend of Post-Apocalyptic Normalization, where films depict societies that have adapted to ongoing catastrophic events rather than focusing solely on the initial disaster. This allows for explorations of human resilience, mundane daily life, and emotional arcs within bizarre new realities. It also fits into the Indie Sci-Fi Dramedy genre, characterized by smaller-scale, character-focused stories that use sci-fi elements to explore personal themes, often with a comedic or romantic undertone, moving away from blockbuster spectacle

Social Trend: Coping with Chronic Uncertainty & Collective Adaptation

The film directly resonates with the social trend of Coping with Chronic Uncertainty and Collective Adaptation. In recent years, global events (like pandemics, climate change, geopolitical instability) have led to a collective experience of living with constant, low-level threats and adapting to "new normals." We're All Gonna Die's premise—of humanity simply getting used to an alien spike—serves as a metaphor for this societal phenomenon, highlighting how people find ways to connect, grieve, and carry on even when the world feels perpetually off-kilter. It reflects a contemporary human experience of resilience in the face of ongoing, systemic anxieties.

Final Verdict: A Charming But Uneven Indie Endeavor

"We're All Gonna Die" is a charming and ambitious independent film that benefits greatly from the engaging performances of its lead actors and its unique, high-concept premise. While its blend of sci-fi, comedy, and drama offers a fresh perspective on apocalyptic narratives, some critics found the narrative stretched thin, leading to pacing issues. However, for those who appreciate quirky, character-driven stories and the specific sensibilities of Freddie Wong and Matthew Arnold, it offers a thoughtful and surprisingly heartfelt look at human connection and resilience in a world that has simply learned to live with the end. It's a film with a strong core that, despite its imperfections, leaves a memorable impression.


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