WAMG First Look… ‘Veronika Decides to Die’

Right out of the gate, my BOGUS alarm went off when I found out about this movie. Two things had me concerned… First, it’s an American remake of the original Japanese film from Kei Horie made in 2005 and second, it stars Sarah Michelle Gellar. Well, let me be the first to say that I think I may have been TOTALLY wrong! Once I saw the trailer, my attitude immediately changed from loathing the thought of even going to the press screening to one of “Oh, My God! This movie may actually be really good and I am really excited to see it!”

‘Veronika Decides to Die’ is based on the best-selling book from author Paulo Coelho. The film is directed by Emily Young (Kiss of Life), the music in the trailer sounds good, if not great and the film is being scored by British composer Murray Gold (Death at a Funeral).

The story centers on Veronika, a woman in her mid twenties who appears to have everything: good looks, good job and a great life ahead of her. Yet she decides to end her own life. She is unsuccessful and awakens in a mental hospital where she learns that she has five days to live. We learn that the reason that she attempted suicide was that she felt so constrained by the rules and expectations of ‘normal’ society that she had concluded that she had experienced all that life had to offer. However in the hospital she meets people who are only ‘insane’ because they don’t always follow society’s rules. With little left to lose, Veronika embarks on a journey on which she frees herself to experience relationships and emotions and ultimately discovers what it means to live. — IMDB