'You Can Live Forever' Review: Jehovah Witness-Centric Teen Lesbian Drama Finds Cinematic Paradise
You Can Live Forever
NR
Runtime: 1 Hour and 36 Minutes
Production Companies: Prospector Films
Distributor: Good Deed Entertainment, Mongrel Media
Directors: Sarah Watts, Mark Slutsky
Writers: Sarah Watts, Mark Slutsky
Cast: Anwen O'Driscoll, June Laporte, Liane Balaban, Antoine Yared, Hasani Freeman
Release Date: May 5, 2023
In Theaters and On Demand
I’ve often mentioned my forced Jehovah's Witness upbringing on this site. I identify with the suffocation characters experience in films about religious institutions. They usually cover Catholicism or other Christian groups. Jehovah's Witnesses are uncharted territory. Unless you’re a Witness being brainwashed by their propaganda videos with porno budgets, there are no Witnesses within ACTUAL CINEMA. That’s why, since the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky’s debut LGBTQ romantic drama You Can Live Forever has been on my radar. After waiting patiently from my Watchtower* (*bedroom), I’m glad to say this movie accomplished everything I hoped for and then some.
During the early ‘90s in Canada, after her father’s passing, reclusive teen Jaime (Anwen O’Driscoll) is sent to live with her aunt Beth (Liane Balaban) and Uncle Jean-François (Antoine Yared) in their Jehovah's Witness household. By living under their roof, Jaime must abide by their JW ways and integrate into their community: she is forced to wear dresses and attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall. At a meeting, she becomes instantly smitten by red-headed devout JW Marike (June Laporte). The two befriend and start hanging out all the time, under the confines of the “fun” of Witnessing: attending bible study, doing door-to-door service, etc. Their friendship blossoms into an intensely romantic affair with consequences that reshape their lives.
It’s worth mentioning that Sarah Watts is a former Witness who left the faith at 13 and came out as gay. While You Can Live Forever is far from autobiographical, she and Matt Slutsky bridge together a unique lesbian teen romance shrouded by brainwashing while illustrating every facet of the Jehovah's Witness lifestyle and belief system. As Jaime begrudgingly attends a Kingdom Hall (they don’t call it a “church”) meeting with her aunt and uncle, the attention to detail in the set decoration transported my ass back to my youth, Anton Ego-style. The rows of uncomfortable gray fabric chairs filling the space of the compacted main corridor, the heavy wooden entrance doors, and the lifeless white and gray walls gave me PTSD. It’s frightening how this Canadian Hall set during the ‘90s doesn’t stray far from the Halls I attended in Brooklyn during the 2010s.
Jaime and Marike’s friends-to-lovers romance is You Can Live Forever’s crux, and it’s as cute and romantic as *insert your favorite lesbian drama here*. Their dates are restricted by JW-related activities and the ‘90s setting, but nothing’s sweeter than the scenes where they have fun. Actresses Anwen O'Driscoll and June Laporte are magnificent and deliver fantastic romantic chemistry. Like every lesbian romantic drama, they share subtle gazes and facial acting. They amplify the romantic tension with their mutual gay goo-goo eyes.
Once Jaime and Marike start their friendship-to-lovers arc, their separate upbringings are thrown into the fray. With Jaime as the fish out of the water, Marike positions her devout self to convert her. Jaime (and the viewer) are initially on the fence about Marike’s intentions. At first, Marike felt like a catalyst for the writers to explore the religion’s beliefs and rules. Surprisingly enough, she becomes the focal point after she pulls ALL the moves on Jaime. Once the lens is set on her, the film offers a fascinating yet harrowing outlook on religious repression. Marike desperately wants the best of both worlds: being a good girlfriend living her gay truth while being a devout Witness. Her religious conviction is as passionate as her romantic actions. I couldn’t help but feel sympathy towards the poor girl. It’s heartbreaking how strongly Watts and Slutsky illustrated the effect of JW's brainwashing. It rains so much truth about how the cult affects impressionable, innocent people who buy into the delusions, whether from relatives or… Wait, no. It’s usually just that.
Most of the story is told through Jaime’s lens. The film also depicts religious pressure and guilt, especially from a community as strict as JW. Tiny moments such as Jaime being forced to wear a feminine dress for a meeting, the gaslighting and condescending glances from other members who catch her slipping, and the weird gender roles it imposes on its members exemplify the crushing stress of being part of that community.
I only have one issue with this film: Jaime’s instigating friend Nate (Hasani Freeman), who she meets at her new school. I don’t know why, but every scene they share is poorly acted and written, like expired milk. As Jaime enters her new classroom, the brother interacts awkwardly with her, asking her personal questions without any awareness or manners. He pries into her background so many times so she can spout exposition. The guy also got annoying, like a ‘90s Black sitcom side character whose personality trumps his comedic timing. Thankfully, he’s friendly and supports Jaime’s queerness.
Sarah Watts and Mark Slutsky’s You Can Live Forever accurately illustrate every side of the Jehovah's Witness lifestyle through riveting romantic drama that puts the brainwashing realities of their society on display. I hope this feature inspires other filmmakers who left the faith to tell their original tales about the cult institution.
