By Design

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By Design

2025

1h 32m

Comedy

Drama

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

70%

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33 Reviews

Popcornmeter

0 Ratings

Camille and Olivier are intriguing people with rich interior character landscapes. But in a society that refuses to acknowledge their existence, is it better to be a chair?

Critics Consensus

Amanda Kramer's delicate creation intellectualizes the absurdity of objectification, yet this film won't sit still in the audience's mind and that's By Design.

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Jourdain Searles

The Hollywood Reporter

The alienating nature of the premise is what makes it fascinating, pushing us to question how we want to be seen and experienced as people in the world.

Feb 13, 2025

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Tara Judah

Sight & Sound

Amanda Kramer was already one to watch and her fifth dramatic feature proves she is an unmatched voice in American indie cinema.

Feb 12, 2025

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

There are some sharp ideas in “By Design” and one excellent performance, but it often struggles to tie those ideas together in a coherent way, wearing out its welcome long before it’s over.

Jan 25, 2025

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Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

At first, I was fully on board with the film’s fiercely offbeat premise and barrage of uncomfortably obscure moments. It's when the whole thing takes a left turn into a land of underground performance art that I wanted to throw something at the screen.

Apr 15, 2025

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Rachel Wagner

rachelsreviews.net

It really had no story and I felt embarrassed for all involved.

Mar 7, 2025

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Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Amanda Kramer’s films are some of the few that I would actually call Lynchian, because they are not at all like his films, but are so singular in their execution and logic that they could only be made by Kramer.

Feb 28, 2025

Full Review

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Amanda Kramer

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Synopsis

Camille and Olivier are intriguing people with rich interior character landscapes. But in a society that refuses to acknowledge their existence, is it better to be a chair?

Director: Amanda Kramer
Producer: Miranda Bailey, Sarah Winshall, Natalie Whalen, Jake Agger
Screenwriter: Amanda Kramer
Production Co: Smudge Films, Cold Iron Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 32m