User reviews

It's Such a Beautiful Day is in practice a very simple tale. A tale of a man who gets sick and has to deal with his incoming demise. The way this story is told is however far from simple and should make you think about your very existence by the end.

The film is actually built up from three seperate short films but this is hardly relevant as the three segments flow in a way that makes it obvious that they were intended to be as one from the start. Even so the movie is only slightly over an hour which is hugely impressive for what it accomplishes on a cinematic and emotional level.

The animation style must of course also be mentioned. At first it looks as though the style is just simple pencil drawn stick figures a five year old could draw, but it soon gets clear that the film is actually very well animated and that the simple style just further works as a contrast to the larger than life themes the film tackles. The animation is also intermixed with real world images as well as very surreal imagery which helps the film's look and feel stick out further. Oh and the music and voice acting are of course also really well done.

The film visually is very far from reality yet it manages to feel more "real" than most other regular drama films. There is a ton of super relatable and realistic feeling dialogue that makes it all feel very genuine even though we're essentially just looking at stick figures interacting with each other.

The pacing is incredibly sharp and quick to the point where I really ended up wishing that the movie would have been longer as I genuinely think it could have been a real masterpiece if it were twice as long. As it is, it is still a wonderful experience, it just could have been even more larger than life. At around the midpoint there is also a sequence of events that feels weirdly out of place (though this segment is made a little less distracting through a referential scene toward this scene later on in the film).

Other than those few mishaps the film is really good and when my biggest issue is that I wanted more of the product, you know that it is good.

Without spoiling anything the film has a few scenes that feel tremendously powerful and these scenes really solidified the film as a monumentally unique but albeit somewhat gimmicky film. So it's Such a Beautiful Day is not perfect, but it sure as hell is worth your time!

Rating: 8-/10.

One of the best ways you can spend your precious 1 hour. Great, simplistic art style with good sound FX, in no way gets boring or lose its pace, definitely worth to watch.

Makes the audience constantly think about nearly every sentence, The stick man style and whats is being told in the story of the movie contradicts and it left me in an odd situation, i felt ''these subjects that the movie works on are way too serious and harsh for a movie with this simplistic art, it is awesome. Simple joys of life, a dark past, Schizophrenia and Alzheimer ( concept of reality and time getting destroyed) and in finale scene in just 3-4 minutes of time a huge question about life is answered. 9/10 could've been a 10 out of 10 with some minor changed or add-ups.

I really enjoy movies where it feels like that creator is talking directly to me. His anxieties, shower thoughts, fear. Just put directly into my head through the movie and this is one of those experiences.

It looks so creative with the bubbles that work like memories like oh, I remember the crow and the back and the sounds in the background. But not much of the background. Is there just like in memories it just a such a creative edge to it and the way it shows the art style change a little is wonderful. I have never seen it another movie.

Absurdity of the movie helps a lot with a humor of it. The dialogue never get stall I just wish it didn't finish light so much.

I really enjoyed a psychology and being put in his head with the memory and all of the audio and visual overstimulation like oh my god. I have autism and I can't feel his pain.

This is one of those projects. I can only have respect for it is a wonderful experience that could only be told through animation.

Of all the movies I've seen since the beginning of 2023, this one is my favourite. This movie captures the viewer by sending him into a crazy adventure through the main character's mind. It's visually stunning, very entertaining and incredibly touching. We follow Bill, a somewhat normal man as he slowly starts to loose his thoughts, his memories and his grasp on reality. We get to live every moment with him and share in his confusion and mental hallucinations. We also get to live with him, follow his daily activities, follow his mental health and know his past. We live in his world through him and we get to see the people that surround him, the things he does, the things he sees, the things he imagines, the things he likes, the things he thinks about and the world as it is (for him). We simply become... Bill. As weird as it sounds, this is actually the most incredible and fascinating cinematic experience I've had in my life. I love Bill and I love this movie.

It's such a beautiful day is a gorgeous film. It is so hard to review this movie without including integral spoilers so it boils down to this- it is a very emotional experience. As the description explains, it follows a man named Bill dealing with an illness that is invading every aspect of his life. The movie is a raw examination of life, mental health, and death in a unique way- using very simple animation, camera shots, and narration to tell his story. Bill is a simple but relatable character that you root for by the end of the movie- you just want everything to go right for him. The music is beautiful, the story is beautiful, the combination of both actual video and animation is so interesting and perfectly matches the theme of the movie. I have shown this film to multiple family members and friends with different tastes in films and they all have enjoyed it.

An exemplary masterpiece of an animated film by Don Hertzfeldt. This unique blend of bleakness and beauty feels like a poignant meditation on life, consciousness, and the absurdity of existence. The simple stick-figure animation belies the depth of the story, which follows Bill, a character grappling with existential dilemmas and a series of unfortunate events. What makes this film stand out is how it balances humor and heartbreak. Hertzfeldt's storytelling is raw, honest, and surprisingly uplifting despite its heavy themes. The narration, combined with the minimalist yet expressive visuals, creates an emotional connection that's hard to shake off. It's one of those films that stays with you long for a very long time, prompting deep reflection about life and our shared human experiences. Definitely not your typical animated movie-it's a must-watch for anyone open to exploring the complexities of life in a unique way!

I really liked the story and the animation but the narrator drove me crazy.

Every sentence has the same pitch and tone and delivered in this breathy whine. Its extremely off-putting.

This film is as random as it gets. Unique does not equal great. I did not find a single thing I'd like about this film.

This film is amazing. It's a beautiful, philosophical film that leaves you feeling paralyzed after viewing. Every time I watch it, I notice more and more of the great things about this film. The superb effects are even more amazing when you think about how there were no computers used in its filming. This movie feels like the longest hour of your life, but you wish the hour never ends. It is about a man named Bill. It starts of following Bill around with narration by Don Hertzfeldt. Hertzfeldt's narration sounds unconventional and unprofessional, but it adds to the effect of the film. You soon learn that BIll is struggling with some sort of disease never mentioned in the film that affects his mind. Most of the film is split into little windows across the screen, something weird, but original and interesting. All this, plus some darkly funny humor, makes this film not only a great one, but an artistic achievement that will make you do some major thinking about life. This film is perfect.

This is a very experimental type of film. It tries more to convey feelings rather than follow a coherent story - kind of in the vein of Wong Kar-Wai and Terrence Malick films, except it doesn't have the same level of music, cinematography, visuals, and of course, budget.

There are a couple of very intelligent moments and witty dialogue, and you can tell a lot of work went into making it (seems to be pretty much one person btw), but it's not the kind of film that everyone would enjoy.

This is not the type of film you should recommend to others since it's so niche, chances are they will almost certainly find it boring. Rather, those who will enjoy it are the ones who seek it out on their own, those who know what they want and accidentally stumble upon a gem for themselves.

For the record, someone recommended this to me and I did not find it entertaining.

Never has a movie had a greater impact on me than this one. In fact, I created my IMDb profile solely to rate this movie 10/10, because it is just that good.

At the surface it's a somewhat comically told story of a stickman, Bill, and his struggles in life. Don Hertzfeldt (the animator) narrates Bill's life through what seems like a series tiny excerpts plucked out from a bigger picture. It mirrors the animation style, which at times also seems to consist of excerpts; tiny portions roughly cut out from bigger scenes. All this is accompanied by classical music.

At the core of this simple exterior though, is an emotional roller-coaster that will make you think about the big questions. It will make you laugh at dark jokes amidst a sea of tears. It will reduce any hard man into a soft mushy pulp. And in the end, Bill the stickman will have a real impact on your life.

I haven't seen a film as masterful as Don Hertzfeldt's It's Such a Beautiful Day that I had to watch it twice in two days in a long time. Comprised of three short films, of which were released from 2006-2011, for an hour long feature. It details the life, perspective and ancestry of Bill, a nondescript stickman who suffers from deliberating mental illness. Although it has a minimalist animation style, with simplistic pencilled-in stick figures and fractured splotched split screens contrasted with live action footage, Hertzfeldt manages to dig deep into the bleakest caverns of the psyche of the human condition, whilst also pointing out its silver linings. Even though it's obviously painstakingly animated, there's a liberating stream-of- conscience style with Hertzfeldt's omnipresent and omniscient narration.

Despite Bill's erratic state of mind, ostensibly from his family history, he's an incredibly relatable character from his fears, dreams and insecurities. The film is so on point that it's hard to shake a disorientating sense of anxiety from watching it due to its existentialism. The film is a remarkably abrasive experience from its density, firing off small vignettes of Bill's life in just a few seconds at a time, paired with an unnerving use of classical music. But with its absurdist take on life, the grounded sense of humour comes from its irreverent and idiosyncratic observations of trivial social faux pas. However, the only aspect that holds the film back is that it gets too nihilistic at times especially during the family flashbacks without purpose, often forgetting the theme of the title.

What's most powerful about the film is the way it approaches mortality. Among all the morbid cruelty of life, it manages something deeply poignant and profound in its casualness. It suggests death as a dumb, awkward stupid moment and in its irony it finds comfort. The final passage explores the consequence of immortality taking a common fantasy on a grand scale. The unbridled creativity, insight and ambition of Hertzfeldt is unparalleled. Both hilarious and gut-wrenching in equal measure, it's a thoroughly inspirational film as Hertzfeldt probably made this on one desk maybe in his bedroom. I implore everyone to spare an hour of their life to watch this. I'll definitely be watching It's Such a Beautiful Day many, many more times.

9/10

From his beginnings as the animator of absurdist comedic shorts like "Rejected" and "Billy's Balloon", Don Hertzfeldt's career has always been promising and he has now become one of the finest filmmakers working today, a mature mastermind with a sense of humor that somehow manages to create stunning works of art using stick figures.

"It's Such a Beautiful Day" is a tragicomic combination of fantasy and reality, portraying the life and death of a seemingly normal man named Bill, a relatable extension of ourselves who lives a confusing yet mundane life that seems to have been wasted by year after year of nothing. Featuring a deadpan and often hilarious narration by Hertzfeldt himself, Bill's psychological and physical collapse is portrayed through the unique usage of flashbacks, dream sequences, absurdist gags, surrealist science fiction imagery, etc. All of these fragments of memories and crises and sad moments and happy moments and funny moments and stream of consciousness style musings on existentialist concepts of death and love and life all culminate to form something inexplicably beautiful. This is the story of a fragile man taking place over the course of his most fragile days as life seems to vanish in his socially awkward grasp. Of course, this is not a conventionally sad work, although it IS extremely tragic and heartbreaking throughout, for Hertzfeldt's often dark and occasionally even slightly juvenile and slyly bawdy sense of humor shines through even the most melancholic of moments.

The result of this brilliant philosophical tale is a work of both intellectual and emotional mastery crafted by an underrated and unbelievably talented artist whose works can combine elements of comedy and tragedy and poetry using bland, almost poorly drawn stick figures. This filmmaker and this films are both movie miracles and prove that even in this modern age of repetitive corporate media cinema is not dead and can still be excellent and original!

When I sat down to watch this, I had never heard of Don Hertzfeldt, the genius behind "It's Such a Beautiful Day." Since then, I've watched every single film he has made at least three times. This film changed the way I look at art; film, music and literal art, in the form of paintings. It is truly incredible. Hertzfeldt's animation style in one of the best in the industry, and has now become my favourite.

The story that is told in the series of shorts will make you laugh, cry and consider why you are even living. The way that the simple animation style is composited on screen is unique, and also works seeing as it is told from Bill's perspective. The main character, Bill, is a lonely, confused stickman, who suffers from depression and a mental disorder. The things he dreams up or the hallucinations he sees show Hertzfeldt's absurd humour, which will confuse you and also make you laugh. The questions that he asks will stay in your head for a very long time.

The fact that this masterpiece was produced entirely one person with no help from computers makes the film stand out even more.

I don't know whether I'll ever watch a film the same again.

I don't think I can accurately describe how very very much I loved this movie. I've seen it 4 times now and each time I still feel my soul ache for Bill. I fell in love with Bill and... just felt for him. In real life, I felt for an animated character. It's that good.

The way the scenes are laid out really dig deep into the psyche and even if the scenes are too deep for you, you can still appreciate being pulled into someone's mind and experiences in such a way that later you won't be able to help but to reflect on, and often.

I especially loved how the writer depicted the psychotic breaks. Genius. What is it like to have experienced true emotional pain? What's the damage left? What about genetics? There's no doubt that environment plays a large role in emotional development but so does being genetically predisposed to an illness or 'malfunction' that basically hinders brain function so that the brain is no longer efficient. Most of us can only imagine experiencing the brain being truly confused or inept.

Yet, Bill pushes on as the sweetest, kindest soul who just lives his simple, rote routines and just keeps living...and living....and living.

This movie is amazing and you get to experience Bill's PERCEPTIONS of his reality and life in a stark and matter-of-fact way that gets to you. LOVE this LOVE LOVE LOVE this! ...and I LOVE whomever made this movie. You are simply incredible, sir.

In a film industry there animated movies are getting more and more advanced, this extreme surprise shows up on Netflix. What a beautiful film this is.

Don Hertzfeldt, a director I had never heard of until this day tells the story of a man named Bill, who struggles to put together his shattered psyche. All this is done with very simple, but heartwarming drawings mixed with some live action moments.

Like Mary and Max (2009), this animated feature relies heavily on the narrator, who's voice is the only one you hear. We listen to simple stories about life itself, with some very dark humor intended. You'll laugh, you'll cry, but most of all you'll only spend 62 minutes of your life on something that was quite clearly worth it...

Some films don't leave you for days after you watched them. You actually feel like they will always be within you for your whole life, and they kind of do. This has been one of those films for me. I started watching it with no idea what is was about or what to expect and so it took me to a lovely, passionate, exceptional journey.

It's one of these few films that actually makes you think after the last scene, which was by the way a remarkable one to end the film with.

It speaks to the heart, the mind and the soul in such a simple, beautiful way. I so loved how it's narrated and how the ideas are displayed. It deserves to be recognized and seen not once, but many times.

This film has all three episodes put together into one continuous story. It shows the story of Bill, who is deteriorating from a brain disease. It sounds depressing and haunting, and it is. However, it is many other things as well - impressive, heartwarming, insightful, funny, clever, tragic, and more. This film is a rare gem. A must-watch.

Thankfully I stumbled upon this gem of a film after watching his famous "Rejected Cartoons" skits. Which are genius in their own right, this has a whole different mood and only centers around one man.

The way Hertzfeldt blends classical music, with simple narration and seemingly simple yet complex animation, he manages to tell a great , thought provoking tale of a man looking for something just a little bit more, often thinking to himself, which in turn often gets the viewer thinking, for better or for worse. Everyone can relate to Bill, as I'm sure there is at least one thing that Bill encounters that the viewer has also encountered, which makes it that much more of a personal experience for the viewer.

Surely you will leave this film asking yourself a lot of questions, and some maybe for the better.

The reason Don doesn't have that many movies under his belt is because he painstakingly draws everything himself. It's a long process. It's maddening at times. But it's creates these magical labors of love that are so lost in the modern age. Watch this and enjoy.

I've just finished this film for the first time and struggle to find the words to describe it. It is funny in that dark Hertzfeldt way. But it is so much more than that. It ties the humor of humanity in with the pain of being human. It's a Beautiful Day tells, mostly in present tense, the story of Bill. The entire time we are laughing at Bill's misfortunes, we empathize, he is becoming a part of us. We soon find we are laughing at ourselves and our world.

The story starts like many of Hertzfeldt's shorter films. The telling of this story, at first, comes off kind of clumsy, as if its creator struggled with such a large canvas on which to tell it. But the pieces are violently shoved together in a moment that makes Hertzfeldt's genius come to light. This moment which gives a greater sense of the story is followed by several more that cut me to the core. In my opinion, this story is agonizingly beautiful and is rich with that transparent honestly only Hertfeldt has seemed to be able to accomplish via film/animation.