BEFORE I FALL Trailer

For most people, the prospect of being stuck in high school would be a nightmare. Reliving a single one of those days, particularly one where you treat people like crap and die, would not be the time you want to hang on to, so when a teen gets stuck in this Groundhog Day scenario, it’s natural that she’s desperate to break the loop.

Before I Fall is another adaptation of a popular YA novel (same name), but at least this one doesn’t have vampires, chosen ones, or a dystopian setting. It follows real world rules, with the exception of not dying after car crashes, and that should allow it to delve deep into modern high school hierarchies and the perpetual problem of being a jerk as a teenager.

The adaptation has had a quiet production so far, and it’s worth pointing out that the book and film have been shaped by women for young women. The main characters are a clique of popular girls, and the novel’s author and the film’s director and writer are all female. It’s the kind of adaptation that wouldn’t happen if the movie required, say, a Hunger Games-sized budget, and it’s a mini victory in and of itself.

With distributor Open Road snatching the film up early and promising a U.S. wide release, expect to hear more about Before I Fall in the coming weeks. It had its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which will allow critics to weigh in early. That’s a confident move by Open Road, and one that should get momentum building.

Before I Fall is directed by Ry Russo-Young and stars Zoey Deutch, Elena Kampouris, and Jennifer Beals. It will be released in the U.S. on March 3rd, 2017. For international release dates, click here.

Do you think Before I Fall can be a YA hit? Let us know in the comments!