While I’m pretty agnostic when it comes to genre, I’m a huge fan of dark comedy. Straddling comedy and drama, or maintaining a sardonic sense of humor without coming across as overtly cruel, are challenging tasks for filmmakers. I can be forgiving of films that do not quite get the balance right, as long as they have some consistently redeemable quality. As such, I was open-minded when it came to Most People Die on Sundays

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Marketed as a dark comedy, the Argentine film came from the mind of Iair Said, who serves as the film’s writer, director, and lead actor. Playing David, Said tells a story about a man who returns to Buenos Aires to attend his uncle’s funeral, and along the way discovers that his mother wants to pull the plug on his father, who is in a coma. Along the way, David will grapple with issues surrounding death and grief while also confronting his own identity.
This premise does not sound inherently amusing, but sometimes the best dark comedies can surprise you, finding humor in the most twisted of places. In the case of Most People Die on Sundays, however, it seems that the film never found the balance it needed. What ensued was a fairly one-note, boring movie that took too long to gain steam.
David Is The Highlight, But He Cannot Sustain The Film

The Character Is Compelling At Times

From early on, it is made clear that David is severely uncomfortable in his own skin. Comments are made frequently about his weight, and the movie even opens with shots of him nude or half-naked, emphasizing his body and how he inhabits it as a major part of his character arc. This is an intriguing component of the film, but something I wish had been explored more.

Even with a forgiving attitude, I could not help but get bored by the film in the beginning third (or more), as the characters seem forever to get from point A to B.

David’s lack of confidence bleeds into other aspects of his life, including his romantic endeavors. These elements, however, are largely unexplored for most of the movie. Instead, David’s highly internal state is at times alienating to the audience, who is tasked to empathize with a character who spends most of the film as a passive protagonist. So, while David was a strong character in some respects, I found Said a tough sell as the lead.
Most People Die On Sundays Was Not Funny

This Is A Problem In A Dark Comedy

As a dark comedy fan, perhaps the most frustrating element of Most People Die on Sundays is that the movie is not funny. It struggles with both its dramatic depth and its levity. It seems like most attempts at comedy are at the expense of its overweight protagonist, leaning into his awkwardness without making any real effort to craft humor in the dialogue. Offering no laughter and very little to cling to character-wise, there was not a lot that could redeem it.
Most People Die On Sunday’s Sluggish Pacing Was Alienating

The Film Ends Up Being Boring

I’m not one to dismiss a movie for being slow-paced; in fact, with character studies, this can often be a movie’s greatest strength. Most People Die on Sundays attempts this more languid approach. Even with a forgiving attitude, I could not help but get bored by the film in the first third (or more), as the characters take forever to get from point A to B. The lack of promised humor and David’s passivity also did not help things.
The sluggish pacing does a big disservice to the film’s last 15 minutes, which I felt were by far the strongest elements of Most People Die on Sundays. There, the main themes that had been subtly dispersed throughout more fully lock into place, and David seems to be making some sense of peace with his identity. This would have been rewarding, however, in a better movie, which handled its messaging more consistently throughout. What we got instead was a snail-paced, frustrating move through time that took way too long to deliver.

Most People Die on Sundays

4/10

Release Date

October 31, 2024

Pros & Cons

David is too passive a character
The pacing is sluggish
The film only comes together in the final 15 minutes, but it’s too late