If I Should Die Before I Wake

An episode of the Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics podcast, hosted by Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, titled "If I Should Die Before I Wake" was published on July 25, 2025 and runs 22 minutes.

July 25, 2025 ·22m · Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics

Summary

Flannery O’Connor said that stories about pious children tend to be false. She’s right, of course, but she doesn’t even say the half of it: stories about children in general tend to be false. The kids are always too brave, self-aware, or smart; they’re like the children in medieval paintings who look like miniature adults. If I Should Die Before I Wake (1952) by the Argentine director Carlos Hugo Christensen is the exception: it’s one of the best portrayals of childhood in film history as well as a truly disturbing thriller. If this film has piqued your interest in Argentine noir, check out David George and Gizella Meneses’ Argentine Cinema: From Noir to Neo-Noir to read more about this fascinating genre. Incredible bumper music by John Deley. Please subscribe to the show and consider leaving us a rating or review. You can find over three hundred episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on X and on Letterboxd–and email us any time at [email protected] with requests and recommendations. Also check out Dan Moran’s substack, Pages and Frames, where he writes about books and movies, as well as his many film-related author interviews on The New Books Network. You can also check out Mike Takla’s substack, The Grumbler’s Almanac, for commentary on offbeat topics of the day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Description