Did I? is the feature-length debut of Sarah Tice. The director co-wrote the thriller with Zachary Beckler. It stars Alexandra Pica as Genevieve, who lives with Disassociated Identity Disorder, or D.I.D. for short. The intense editor/aspiring writer is a loner, though her boss, Carrie (Darbi Robbins), greatly appreciates her work. Carrie is also empathetic to her employee’s health, often letting Gen leave early to work from home, as she does better when no one’s bothering her.
Gen’s therapist, Rachel (Raven Wynn), has the young lady working on routines to always remain in control. She also pushes for Gen to reach out to her estranged family. However, Gen’s life is turned upside when Stevie (Pica) reemerges, giving Gen’s waking life hallucinations and flashbacks to dangerous, and sometimes sexy, things she does recall. So who is in control of this life, Gen or Stevie?
The first thing viewers will notice about Did I? is its striking cinematography and lighting. Imagine Last Night In Soho, but with an actual point behind it. The neon reds and bright greens pop off the screen while Tice uses the camera to disorient everyone watching just as much as the lead is. The camera glides through terrifying hallways, zooms in to magnify the emotional beats, and is as much a character as Gen, Carrie, or Rachel. It is mindbending, in the best possible way, that a director with just one short to their name prior to this showcases such a visual mastery of the camera.
“…Gen’s life is turned upside when Stevie reemerges, giving Gen’s waking life hallucinations…”
The next thing of note is Alexandra Pica. The actor shines beautifully in two very difficult roles. When Genevieve and Stevie interact, there’s never any question that these are two distinct people. Pica interacts excellently with her co-stars, especially Robbins, who is tons of fun in her own right. In fact, the entire cast is gangbusters.
The production design throughout Did I? is also fantastic. The design and use of an elevator heavily recall the absolutely perfect and entirely underseen gem A Thousand Kisses Deep (only watch that when one has time to recover emotionally). The Cellar instantly creeps out, while the main bar, Rasper’s, looks like a fun place to hang.
Did I? is a terrific feature-length debut. The story is engaging, the acting is perfect, and the cinematography is infinitely better than a lot of big studio titles. While some of the twists are not the most original, they are handled well, and by that point, audiences are fully invested in what is happening to Gen and her psyche.
For more information, visit the Did I? Instagram page.
"…mindbending in the best possible way..."
