By Design
Amanda Kramer‘s (Please Baby Please) emotionally revealing film, By Design, follows a woman whose soul enters the chair she longed to buy. Camille is the third wheel in her small circle of friends. When she loses an exquisite wooden chair to another desperate woman, her body becomes the vessel to revive those around her, but at what cost?
Camille exists to make her friends feel better about themselves. Kramer builds a character that speaks volumes in restraint, giving Lewis the freedom to break every physical and emotional barrier. By Design is a stage piece on film. There is an immediate theatricality to Camille’s friends, but only to anyone who’s never been in a space with women of a certain economic advantage. To speak of everything and nothing at all is part of the act. Vapid conversation comprised solely of one-upmanship is the name of the game. Camille yearns to be seen.
Grace Surnow‘s production design is delicious. Camille’s apartment is specifically curated in 80s pastels. Her costumes, designed by Sophie Hardeman, appear to have been pulled straight from the pages of a Vogue spread. Every aspect melts into Amanda Kramer’s narrative vision.
Melanie Griffith’s sweet, dulcet voice narrates our unique journey. Robin Tunney is fantastic. Irene’s emotional arc through the loss of her friend’s grounding presence is wildly joyful. Mamoudou Athie delivers a raw turn. He leaves it all on the screen. Juliette Lewis is brilliant. Her performance as Camille feels freeing for women who are forced to mask their true selves. As the ringleader of a neurospicy household, there is something extraordinary about Lewis’s work. This entire film is a gift to the masses.
Camille’s dialogue is beautifully existential. It often takes us decades to stop and truly appreciate things, at least, out loud. Placing her protagonist in a surreal scenario lets societal walls fall away. Kramer slowly reveals childhood trauma from her mother’s monologue. The script also delves into the complexities of communication. When words fail, Sigrid Lauren‘s modern and sensuous choreography takes over. By Design is an expression of longing for connection. It will not be for everyone, but for those who get it, it’s like an orgasmic catharsis.
By Design trailer:
Opens in Theaters Nationwide February 13, 2026
NYC: Quad Cinema | LA: Alamo DTLA | Additional Markets HERE
Juliette Lewis Swaps Bodies with a Chair in the New Surrealist Vision from Writer/Director Amanda Kramer
(PLEASE BABY PLEASE)
Narrated by Melanie Griffith and Co-Starring Mamoudou Athie (KINDS OF KINDNESS), Samantha Mathis (AMERICAN PSYCHO), and Robin Tunney (THE CRAFT)
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