How a 2012 Oscar-winning short film expanded into a feature-length New York drama
In short: Before I Disappear, the 2014 feature adaptation of the Oscar-winning short Curfew, follows a suicidal man tasked with caring for his niece. Amidst a gritty New York backdrop, the film explores themes of redemption and connection, though critics remain divided on whether its expanded narrative truly justifies the longer runtime.
Directed by Shawn Christensen, who also stars as the protagonist Richie, the film debuted at the 2014 South by Southwest Film Festival. It follows Richie, a man struggling with despair, who is interrupted during a suicide attempt by a request to babysit his eleven-year-old niece, Sophia. The narrative weaves together Richie's personal crisis with a dark mystery involving his sister Maggie’s legal troubles and the disappearance of a nightclub acquaintance.
The film’s production history is marked by its transition from a short-form success to a feature-length project. While it received acclaim at festivals—winning the Audience Award at SXSW and appearing at the 71st Venice International Film Festival—critical reception was mixed. Reviewers like Justin Chang of Variety found the film visually impressive but overwrought, while others, such as Mark Adams of Screen Daily, praised the performances and script but questioned if the story had enough depth to sustain a feature-length format.
Commercially, the film saw a limited release. It opened in a single theater on November 28, 2014, and by August 2016, it had earned $10,078 across five screens. Despite its modest box office performance, the film remains a notable example of a filmmaker attempting to translate the concentrated emotional impact of a short film into a broader, more complex cinematic experience.
The film’s legacy is defined by this tension between its stylistic ambition and its narrative structure. With a 37% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 47/100 score on Metacritic, it stands as a polarizing work. Whether viewed as a visually daring homage to late-night New York cinema or an uneven expansion of its predecessor, the film highlights the inherent challenges of adapting short-form storytelling into feature-length dramas.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Before I Disappear
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