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Amanda Kramer made quite a splash with her last narrative film,Please Baby Please, and her latest movie,By Design, is an even more ambitious swing that landed it a spot in the NEXT competition at the Sundance Film Festival.By Designwill hook viewers with its wacky concept, only to put them off with its dry tone, but its thematic richness will lend itself to intriguing analysis.
By DesignReview
By Designtells the story of a woman who envies a chair so much that she endeavors to swap bodies with it. Although it may be billed as a “twist on the body swap genre,” don’t come intoBy Designexpecting something akin to a quirkier version ofFreaky Friday. It’s actually something much more intellectual and weird than you’d imagine it to be, even if you are a fan of Kramer’s past work.
For as high-concept of a premise as it has,By Designsure has layers upon layers to dissect. The most obvious angle is the commentary on consumerism, and Kramer doesn’t really add much to this conversation that hasn’t been said by other satires before. Where Kramer’s movie is at its strongest — as should be no surprise to those who have seen her past work — is when it uses its protagonist’s metaphorical plight as a chair as a central symbol for an exploration of misogyny. It’s dense and asks a lot of questions without easy answers, but that is precisely what makes this such a challenging and effective work of satire.
That being said, the film does ask a lot of the audience — perhaps too much — when it comes to its dry tone. There’s deadpan, and then there’sBy Design. Its purposefully robotic dialogue and near-monotonous delivery will grow tiresome, even for those with a higher tolerance for this sense of humor. Still, it’s certainly idiosyncratic and comes from a voice that’s distinctively different from any other working in film today.
There are two main protagonists (well, three if you count the chair): the wannabe socialite played by Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets), who swaps bodies with the chair, and the piano player (Mamoudou Athie) who becomes the chair’s owner. Their relationships with the supporting characters that surround them are superficial, and those characters are very thinly written. Even if this is part of the satire, it makes it difficult to connect with the narrative.
And there is no shortage of people in the supporting cast. Udo Kier has an unhinged role, and Clifton Collins Jr. has an incredibly disturbing and memorable moment that takes the movie in a very unexpected direction. Perhaps most prominent, though, is Academy Award nominee Melanie Griffith (Working Girl), who lends her distinctive voice to the film’s narration. It has the cast for an ensemble picture, but not the meaty roles it needs to back it up.
By Designdoes look absolutely stunning, though — although it would be embarrassing if a movie centered around interior design wasn’t aesthetic. From the art direction to the cinematography and even the title design, everything in the movie feels incredibly precise and calculated. It’s an intriguing exercise in juxtaposition, as despite being filled with color, Kramer cultivates it in such a way that it feels almost clinical, and, as with pretty much everything in this film, that is… by design.
IsBy Designworth watching?
Indeed, Amanda Kramer’s latest effort is an interesting specimen to examine.By Design’s aridity prevents it from ever being a particularly pleasant experience, but its intellectualism will keep audiences stimulated and invested in unraveling the fabric of Kramer’s unusual construction. I suppose in that regard, Kramer’s latest work is a success, but it’s unlikely to be as memorable as her past work.
By Designis screening at the2025 Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 22-February 2 in Park City and Salt Lake City, UT, and January 30-February 2 online.
By Design Sundance Review — A Bizarre and Utterly Unique Feminist Genre Picture
Sean Boelman
Managing Editor for Film and TV
Articles Published :441
Sean is the Managing Editor for Film and Television, working to determine editorial strategy for the critics team. He has been on the FandomWire team since 2022.In addition to writing reviews himself, Sean helps match writers on the FandomWire team with assignments that best fit their interests and expertise.
