Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intense, emotional allegory about death, dying, and love.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Where to Watch
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Tuesday
What's the Story?
TUESDAY begins with a montage of a supernatural macaw as Death, who's busy bringing release to humans all around the world. Death can change size as needed and visits people who are aged, sick, or in severe pain. Some are ready, and some beg for more time, but Death is there all the same. When Death visits terminally ill teen Tuesday (Lola Petticrew), she's resigned but asks Death, who can speak aloud (voiced by Arinzé Kene), to wait until her mother, Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), comes home so that they can have a final farewell. Touched by Tuesday's compassion, Death agrees. But when Zora arrives and is confronted with the fact that her daughter is going to die that night, she changes the plan in an irrevocable way.
Is It Any Good?
Writer-director Daina O. Pusić's fiercely original, lyrical drama explores pain and loss and has unforgettable lead performances. Louis-Dreyfus proves that her considerable, award-winning talent isn't limited to comedic timing. As Zora, she conveys a single mother's rage, protectiveness, and strength. Despite her flaws, Zora simply wants to keep her daughter alive, but she doesn't think about the cost or the consequences. Zora is a complicated character who's capable of surprising depth, as is Tuesday, whom Petticrew portrays with a tender openness and humor. Tuesday is wiser than her mother, ready to welcome Death and bold enough to ask for a favor, trade stories, and even get high with him first.
Pusić's screenplay is unique and unexpected, focusing not only on Tuesday and Zora's relationship but the way death can bring peace and relief, even as it ushers in tremendous sorrow for the living. Death is surprisingly well performed, evocative and understanding for a being who can hear a never-ending stream of pain. It's difficult to discuss the movie's second act without giving away spoilers, but Pusić's plot manages to be fantastical but also authentic in its depiction of grief. While likely too dark for a "family movie night" pick, this is a memorable choice for parents with older teens and young adults, especially those who are dealing with loss.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Tuesday. Do you consider it critical to the storytelling? Why, or why not? Do the violent deaths impact you differently than the nonviolent ones?
How does the movie promote courage and compassion? Why are those important character strengths?
Discuss the movie's fantasy elements. Why is the bird an apt creature to bring death? Why is Death necessary?
Talk about Tuesday's relationship with her mother. What do you think about what Zora did?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 7, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : July 16, 2024
- Cast : Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Lola Petticrew , Leah Harvey
- Director : Daina O. Pusić
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Non-Binary Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : A24
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy , Gratitude , Perseverance
- Run time : 111 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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