How I Learned to Die Review: The Realization of Life's Limited Time | Tribeca Film Festival

How would your life be different if the chance of dying were higher than living?

After finding out she has a 60% chance of dying, 16-year-old Iris takes hold of her life in this beautiful coming-of-age story, written and directed by Manya Glassman.

Photo via How I Learned to Die team

Actor Lola Darling not only tackles the serious role of Iris, but manages to add immense levity in those fourth wall-breaking moments where Iris acknowledges her own mortality.

Glassman directs the story of Iris in a way that puts the viewer in her shoes.
During the intricate hospital scenes, like the close-up shots of needles entering through Iris’ skin, the audience is immersed in the weight of her life-threatening reality. Effectively, creating conversations around how someone [who is not in Iris’s shoes] would react and behave if this were their lived experience.

We get alternative perspectives through her relationships. Her father figure is somewhat in denial over the severity of the situation, her mother’s attempts to connect with her, new experiences with friends, and a goldfish (who ends up having a bigger role than expected).

Each scene adds another layer to the themes of death and evolution and is a reminder that nothing in this life is guaranteed; it’s imperative to make the most of the allotted time.

How I Learned to Die had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.