Based on the Oscar-winning short, Curfew, Shawn Christensen’s Before I Disappear is an absorbing drama about a suicidal man who, out of the blue, is asked to look after his 11-year-old niece for the night.
Only teasing the trouble sister Maggie is in, Before I Disappear is mysterious and engaging with some magnificent performances from Christensen in the lead and young Fatima Ptacek as his niece. Christensen stays on the right side of a role that could have easily become a stereotype, and while the ending was a little predictable, it still proved very satisfying.
Before I Disappear shows a lot of promise for the cast and actor/writer/director Christensen, winning the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and easily standing out as one of the best movies from the festival.