By Design (2025 film)
A woman swaps bodies with a chair.
By Design is a 2025 American drama film. Amanda Kramer wrote and directed it. The cast includes Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Melanie Griffith, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, and Udo Kier. The story follows a woman who exchanges bodies with a chair.
Production began in September 2024, when Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, Udo Kier, Clifton Collins Jr., and Betty Buckley were announced as cast members. Filming took place in Los Angeles. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025. Music Box Films acquired its distribution rights in August 2025. It reached theaters on February 13, 2026.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 72% of 54 critics gave positive reviews. The site’s consensus calls it a delicate creation that intellectualizes the absurdity of objectification, adding that it won’t sit still in the audience’s mind. On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 63 out of 100 from 13 critics, labeled as “generally favorable.”
- Release year
- 2025 (premiere), 2026 (theatrical)
- Director
- Amanda Kramer
- Cast includes
- Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Melanie Griffith, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, Udo Kier
- Premiere
- Sundance Film Festival, January 23, 2025
- Theatrical release
- February 13, 2026
- Distributor
- Music Box Films
Lore & Background
By Design premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025. In August 2025, Music Box Films acquired distribution rights to the film. The film was released in theaters on February 13, 2026. Filming took place in Los Angeles. In September 2024, it was announced that Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, Udo Kier, Clifton Collins Jr., and Betty Buckley had joined the cast, with Amanda Kramer writing and directing.
Reader's Guide
By Design is a 2025 American drama film notable for its absurdist premise—a woman swapping bodies with a chair—and its ensemble cast including Juliette Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, and Melanie Griffith. Directed and written by Amanda Kramer, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025, and was later acquired by Music Box Films for distribution. Critical reception was mixed to positive: on Rotten Tomatoes, 72% of 54 critics' reviews were positive, with the consensus noting the film 'intellectualizes the absurdity of objectification' but may not linger in the audience's mind. Metacritic gave a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, labeled 'generally favorable.' The film's significance lies in its surreal exploration of identity and objectification, as well as its place in Kramer's filmography as a writer-director working with established actors.
Did You Know?
- The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.
- Music Box Films acquired distribution rights in August 2025.
- The film was released in theaters on February 13, 2026.
- Filming took place in Los Angeles.
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