It’s Such a Beautiful Day – Film Review

Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche, in this feature film version of Don Hertzfeldt’s animated short film trilogy.

Animated films still have that strange belief applied to them that they’re all “just for kids”. But all one needs to do in order to see that that’s not the case whatsoever is watch Don Hertzfeldt’s It’s Such a Beautiful Day. From the very moment the film begins, you will be reeled in by the gripping story of a seemingly ordinary man named Bill. He has a typical life and does things that we all do on a daily basis. But it’s only as the story progresses that we see just how shocking and depressing this story truly is.

More than anything else, stick-figure animations are laughed at because they’re just so simplistic and many people say that they take little to no effort – but with Hertzfeldt’s Bill, that’s simply not true. Bill is brought to life staggeringly despite the fact that he’s a stick figure. But the animation on display in It’s Such a Beautiful Day is not the important part – the story is. This is one of the most harrowing and emotionally gut-wrenching stories I’ve ever seen portrayed in cinema, and it’s present in a stick-figure movie. How crazy is that?

When you sit down to watch this movie, you will find yourself pondering some of life’s biggest questions such as “Why do we exist” and “What is our true purpose on the Earth?”, and Hertzfelt does not shy away from getting incredibly deep and personal with this story. He holds absolutely nothing back and constantly dives as deep as he can go in order to make you feel extreme emotion. By the twenty-minute mark, you’ll notice an uncomfortable feeling rising in your stomach ever so slightly that eventually bubbles to something unbearable by the end.

It’s just fascinating how a one-hour-long stick-figure film is able to be so emotionally and thematically brilliant while also being darkly comedic at times as well. The visuals are extremely impressive when they need to be and the sense of foreboding is always present. Even the narration feels like a character – one that’s bubbling with personality and a sense of emotion and humor.

If you have not yet watched It’s Such a Beautiful Day, I implore you to check this film out because it’s a genuine shocker in more ways than one. It’s equal parts haunting, emotional, funny, and deeply moving. It’s truly one of those movies you simply have to see to believe. If you have an hour to spare in your day (and honestly, who doesn’t?), then this is definitely a must watch.