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By Design

Play trailer By Design 2025 1h 32m Comedy Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 35 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?
By Design

What to Know

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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Stephen A. Russell Orion's Shoulder (Substack) With much to say about the objectification of women, unreal Instagram-proliferated lifestyles and the vultures who circle our ever-decreasing disposable incomes, it’s a bountifully biting fable. Sep 8, 2025 Full Review Jessica Gonzales Geek Vibes Nation Amanda Kramer, who has made other odd and dark, satirical films in the past, has crafted a strange yet tragically funny film, and it is clear that she understands just how silly human nature and our made-up rules can often be. Rated: 7/10 Jul 17, 2025 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Amanda Kramer

Director

Juliette Lewis

Actor

Mamoudou Athie

Actor

Melanie Griffith

Actor

Samantha Mathis

Actor

Robin Tunney

Actor

Movie Info

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