A Necessary Death

2012 • 98 minutes

About this movie

A young director's first feature becomes a literal matter of life and death in this independent drama. Gilbert is a film student who has come up with a novel idea for his final thesis project -- he wants to find someone who has decided to kill themselves, and follow them through the final days of their life until they commit suicide. Gilbert posts a message on the internet looking for a suitable subject, and after interviewing a handful of people with their own reasons for taking their life, he chooses a British expatriate who is slowly dying of an inoperable brain tumor and wants to end it all before pain makes his life unbearable. It's important to Gilbert that his subject actually kills himself, believing that it would call the integrity of the film into question if they changed their mind. But as filming goes on, everyone involved becomes aware of the way the creative process is impacting the man's road towards death. MPAA Rating: NOTRATED

Ratings and reviews

This is not a feel-good film. But it is realistic. Not all the footage is of high quality, but without all the camera's in play, there could no film. I am left conflicted, hurting and shocked by the ending.

This is not a documentary. It should not be in the documentary section. I am requesting my money back. It didn't take me very long into the movie to realize that this was a scripted film and not a doc. Disappointed.

I loved this movie. Was not expecting the ending at all. Totally worth watching.