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A great story relies on more than just the subject matter; it’s the manner in which it is told that actually makes it stand out. Like a hit song that captures the fascination of millions of listeners, most films are comprised of the same elements but the personal approach in which they are presented is what makes them special. There is a uniqueness to the premise of director Stephen Steelman’s What if We Could Stay which is supercharged by the extraordinary editing of his collaborator, the massively talented Hamish McLean. The film follows Primetime Emmy Nominee Jillian Bell as Sam, a body-hopping entity on an alcohol fueled search for love in what might be one of the most unusual romantic journeys ever. Currently in the midst of a highly successful festival run, What If We Could Stay is turning heads and gaining fans for its perspective on romance in an unusual and unprecedented way.
Though donning the appearance of a Science Fiction thriller, What If We Could Stay is a story about how our lives impact each other. What If We Could Stay is a story about connection and the search for meaning in existence. Sam (the aforementioned Jillian Bell) goes through life making things worse for the bodies that she inhabits in her corporal-trotting pursuits. Her companion Grace (Gloria Cole of Jordan Peele’s blockbuster NOPE and Primetime Emmy Nominated TV series Legion) endeavors to make the lives of others better. Through the juxtaposition of their approaches, we witness how our conviction to embrace the positive or negative in uncomfortable situations can alter those around us. Sam feels the perhaps justified angst of a victim while Grace resigns herself to making the best of any situation. In spite of their differences, Sam and Grace ultimately discover that the hope in their situation resides in each other. The filmmakers offer us a thinly veiled choice with these two characters as our proxies. They ask us to recognize the power that kindness and connection can have in our own lives. By understanding others and finding ways to improve their lives, we bring new meaning and joy into our own.
The spirit of Sam and Grace’s connection is the vital organ of this story. Hamish maximizes this in diverse settings and tones. In one evening scene as the two stroll about after visiting a taqueria, Grace asks Sam for her hand and she hesitates. We linger in this moment and become aware that Sam has never actually experienced physical contact with someone else. The world around them quiets down and Sam surrenders to the experience. Via the acting performances and the sublime editing, we are able to empathize with Sam’s concern over allowing another person to have such a profound effect on us. In a club party scene near the end of the film, we see how profoundly the emotional tone can change as this couple’s night of elative partying culminates in Grace passing out from alcohol consumption. Sam discovers her unresponsive body on the floor. The juxtaposition of these drastically different emotional tones and the ease with which it turns is a testament to Hamish’s incredible skill. As the paramedics attempt to save Grace, both she and Sam understand that saving the body means the end of their relationship as it induces her shifting to another person’s body. Hamish describes, “This scene, in its shot composition and editing style, is about loss. We find ourselves in the ambulance, where Grace is laid out on the stretcher and Sam sits by her side. The paramedics try to pump Grace’s stomach, but Sam resists. She doesn’t want them to do that, as it would mean she would lose Grace forever. Sam’s pain and fear are palpable—she fights back against the medical procedure because accepting it means accepting Grace’s death. But it’s inevitable. The procedure works, Grace expels all the alcohol, but she no longer recognizes Sam. Grace is gone. Sam’s world shatters once again. The loss is devastating, and the pain is overwhelming.” In the edit, this scene starts frantic, with fast cuts and the intense sound of the paramedics working. The cinematography matches the energy, emphasizing Sam’s frantic state. As Sam comes to terms with the reality of the situation, the edit slows down, allowing the emotional weight to settle in. The pacing here shifts dramatically, as Sam processes the fact that she’s lost Grace. Sam’s journey is one of alienation and eventual acceptance, and this scene marks a significant
moment in that emotional arc. Devastated along with Sam at this abrupt shift, we the audience are left to consider how we would deal with such a seemingly futile trajectory.
