Have you heard of writer/director Nacho Vigalondo? If you haven’t, you’re truly missing out. While he’s certainly not new to the scene, he has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to weird, insane, crazy ideas for movies and their executions (Colossal; The ABCs of Death; V/H/S: Viral). His execution is nothing shy of a fever dream, especially with some top tier Hollywood talent always being onboard with his ideas, and in the case of Daniela Forever, that is pretty spot on, resulting in such a whimsical world for audiences to effortlessly get lost in. Daniela Forever asks questions we typically don’t want to ask or admit to thinking about as we look into our souls, but the way they’re presented is hauntingly beautiful and completely submerges the audience into the world, leaving them astounded.
L-R: Henry Golding as Nicolás and Beatrice Grannò as Daniela in DANIELA FOREVER. Photo courtesy of TIFF.
The film focuses on Nicolás (Henry Golding) who is stuck in a bad place in life. At first, we’re completely unsure why, but he is looking rough, doesn’t seem motivated, and is going through the steps of life but not really living. We, shortly thereafter, find out that his girlfriend, Daniela (Beatrice Grannò), has recently passed in a tragic event and he can’t shake the funk. His friend Victoria (Nathalie Poza) convinces him to take an experimental pharmaceutical drug that creates lucid dreams. Reluctant at first, Nicolásdoes eventually give in. In the lucid dreams, he gets to have Daniela back and he gets to play God, in a sense, as the world that they exist in within the dreams is that of the world he knows and controls, and it shows his true colors. Throughout the movie, it is clear that Nicolásis grieving, but his intentions and reasons behind the grief shift often and are ambiguous, resulting in him seeming disconnected and only interested in serving himself. However, this is due to the way he is handling what life has thrown him.
Henry Golding as Nicolás in DANIELA FOREVER. Photo courtesy of TIFF.
Grief affects everyone differently; it is a known fact. So to characterize someone’s grief is a hard task. While it is unclear how Nicolásis grieving, or how Nacho intended it to come across, Golding’s (Crazy Rich Asians; The Gentlemen) near-pitch-perfect performance evokes sheer depression and emotional downfall. While he is in the real world, his apartment is a mess and he’s not ingesting the world he is living in, he’s just simply existing. However, when he is in the lucid dreams, the world is brighter, he has a light in him again, there is a purpose to his day, and this all stems from his affection for Daniela. Beatrice Grannò (Security) is the missing puzzle piece in this complex, nearly impossible to finish puzzle. Her performance and ability to flip at the snap of someone’s fingers are remarkable and breathtaking, and asking the questions no one wants to ask leaves her performance as the catalyst for what is the right and/or wrong decision in situations like this.
L-R: Beatrice Grannò as Daniela and Henry Golding as Nicolás in DANIELA FOREVER. Photo courtesy of TIFF.
Vigalondo crafts a story that is so filled with heart and soul, and that breathes life into a situation no one wants to find themselves in at any point, that it is only excelled by the performances from the leading and supporting members of the cast. Creating a story about heartbreak and losing the ones we love is never easy and an escape sometimes feels like the only option. Utilizing the lens of lucid dreams lends itself effortlessly and perfectly for telling such a tragic, whimsical romance.
Screening during Toronto International Film Festival 2024.
In select theaters July 11th, 2025.
Available on digital July 22nd, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Toronto International Film Festival 2024 Daniela Forever webpage or the official Well Go USA webpage..
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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