Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

PG-13

netflix

A darkly hilarious portrait of the inevitability of death

7.9

Movie

United States of America
English
Documentary
2020
FEMALE DIRECTOR, KIRSTEN JOHNSON
Ira Sachs, Kirsten Johnson, Mary Page Nance
89 min

What it's about

With this inventive portrait, director Kirsten Johnson seeks a way to keep her 86-year-old father alive forever. Utilizing moviemaking magic and her family’s dark humor, she celebrates Dr. Dick Johnson’s last years by staging fantasies of death and beyond. Together, dad and daughter confront the great inevitability awaiting us all.

The take

Dick Johnson Is Dead is a heartfelt and unconventional portrait of how one can live life to the fullest even in their darkest days. Kristen Johnson’s follow-up to the highly acclaimed documentary Cameraperson, Johnson shows that her skills are no fluke as she crafts a witty film where she masterfully balances surreal tonal shifts to create a compelling experience. While it does have a repetitive nature, the final thirty minutes are heartbreakingly comedic, and make this one worth a watch!

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