New Year’s Day Review

The sole survivors of a school trip skiing accident vow to commit suicide the following New Year's Day, but not before carrying out 12 life-affirming tasks.

by William Thomas |
Published on
Release Date:

02 Nov 2001

Running Time:

101 minutes

Certificate:

18

Original Title:

New Year’s Day

This is why most actors should stick to spouting other people's lines, instead of trying to write their own. The scripting debut of Ralph Brown (Withnail & I's Danny) shows that, sadly, he learnt nothing working with Bruce Robinson.

An intriguing premise - the sole survivors of a school trip skiing accident vow to commit suicide the following New Year's Day, but not before carrying out 12 life-affirming tasks - is sullied by an uneven tone and dialogue straight from the Big Book Of Disaffected Teenagers.

Brown can't take all the blame, though. Krishnamma's direction is horribly cliched. The performances are mixed, but the teen protagonists are such unlikeable little curs that you'll be willing them to fulfil their suicide pact 20 minutes in.

The teen protagonists are such unlikeable little curs that you'll be willing them to fulfil their suicide pact 20 minutes in.
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