Fantasia 2025 Review: ‘Death Does Not Exist’ is a Stunningly-Animated Bore

Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s Death Does Not Exist, which had its North American premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in the “Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois” section, may be the most commendable effort from any Québec filmmaker in the animated medium this century. We seldom get any movies of that ilk in our province, let alone for adults. The late Gerald Potterton was one of the few figures we can point to who pioneered animated cinema in Québec, with Tiki-Tiki and, of course, Heavy Metal. However, most animated titles released here are usually intended for very young children. 

That’s why, when news of its premiere at Fantasia was announced, after a trip to La Croisette and Annecy, the movie had to be at the very top of my watchlist. After all, movies like these are a rarity in Québec, and the fact that it took over six years to complete the animation is an effort worthy of your attention and time. And while it is certainly one of the most staggering pieces of visual art you’ll see from an animated perspective, the 72-minute feature often becomes muddled and begins to repeat itself to the point of tedium incredibly quickly.

It’s unfortunate because the animation is genuinely jaw-dropping. The story is told through a metaphorical lens, as it follows a group of revolutionaries who take up arms against a rich family, with one of its figures, Hélène (Zeneb Blanchet), having a difficult time following through with their plan. Her life begins to flash back before her eyes as she confronts the youngest—and oldest—versions of herself, while also being haunted by visions of an old friend who plants the seeds of doubt in her mind. 

The movie swerves from one direction to the next, with its metaphorical transitions acting as a true shock to the system. Each fragment of hand-drawn blood can transform into something else entirely, and what Dufour-Laperrière visualizes in his picture is of immense emotional power. Frequently, I would stop listening to the cyclical dialogues just to observe the artistry on display, which is so deeply moving that one would’ve hoped the film was entirely dialogue-free. Because Dufour-Laperrière’s writing seems at odds with the intense message he wants to convey with his visuals, especially as Hélène has strong conversations with different figures that essentially impart the same thing to her over and over again until she finally understands what she needs to do. 

The camerawork is immersive and puts the audience smack-bang into this highly imaginative story that constantly reshapes itself in ways you don’t expect. So why must we get sequences that halt the film’s momentum to overexplain what the director’s message is? I think that by simply looking at the images and seeing what Dufour-Laperrière says about the current state of the world, one clearly understands his preoccupations, especially in the times we live in today. 

In a way, the film’s release couldn’t be more timely, as the political climate has reached a critical point. People no longer talk to each other – they only want to stay in their bubble and prove they’re right through figures that parrot what they believe. So when a filmmaker asks where this world has gone, and if we can repair the scars we’ve created, we tend to listen. We have to, because if we don’t listen to each other, this society will deteriorate even further than it already is.

I was eager to see what Dufour-Laperrière had in store for us with Death Does Not Exist, but as it progressed, I found myself listening to it less and less. I preferred to watch the artistry on display and be quietly blown away by its expressive, artful animation rather than hear the same things through different variations. If film is a primarily visual medium, then it’s more than acceptable for the filmmaker to focus on his art first, before creating any line of dialogue. But in the case of Death Does Not Exist, sometimes it’s best to let the images speak for themselves and let the audience ruminate on what they mean rather than spoon-feed them for 72 very long minutes. 

SCORE: ★★1/2