I Hate Myself and Want to Die is an official selection at the 2024 Austin Film Festival. It is a feature-length live action dramedy written and directed by J. Davis. It is about a single depressed man in his early 30’s with a failed art career, who, you guessed it, hates himself and wants to die. The film opens with him trying to kill himself. However, his suicide keeps getting delayed by minor inconveniences, his friends and family. While the topic of choice is dark, it handles it in a very candid manner.
The movie isn’t one I would really call “depressing” as the tone is generally very lighthearted. The main character’s best friend is a wacky stoner guy who owns a katana for crying out loud. I like how realistically the main character’s depression is portrayed. Yes, he has it, but his personality isn’t exaggeratedly melancholic, and he isn’t crying in every other scene. He’s just some guy, and the way he talks about his depression is very casual. He just feels like an actual person who is struggling with the mental illness, and as a result the film feels like it comes from a place of love, and from someone who truly understands what they’re talking about.
I really liked the script for this film. The naturalistic sounding dialogue is incredibly engaging and all of the actors involved did a fantastic job at delivering their lines. The characters are all interesting and believable, and the story is emotionally moving and entertaining. It’s a surprisingly uplifting film despite what the title suggests, and if you couldn’t tell by how I went on and on about how well it portrays depression, it’s definitely one I would recommend to anyone who is struggling and wants to feel seen and wants to know that there’s hope for them, and that what they think is their way out of their problems might not really be what they want.
I Hate Myself And Want To Die screened on October 25, 2024 and will screen again on October 28th at the Hideout at 4:15 PM. I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE is heartfelt and sincere-it is one not to miss!
Madelyn, Filmmaker Mixer Correspondent