Cookies on FilmShelves
We use essential cookies to keep the site working. With your permission we also use analytics cookies (so we can fix what's broken) and advertising cookies (so the ads you see are more relevant). Read our privacy policy.
You'll still see ads on the free tier — rejecting just means they won't be personalised.

THIS IS THE STANDARD EDITION AND DOES NOT INCLUDE A SLIP COVER. “A genuine cinematic gem… groundbreaking.” – Piers Handling, TIFF Frustrated housewife Gwen James (Rabid’s Patricia Gage) feels like little more than a servant to her accountant husband (Strange Brew’s Douglas Campbell) and two daughters. Devoting all her time to their needs – and the demands of her cantankerous father – she feels her sense of self-worth slipping. As Gwen wrestles with increasingly despairing thoughts, she escapes into a world of glamorous fantasy and eventually finds a new sense of purpose by enrolling in a university course, where she strikes up a special bond with her young professor (American Nightmare’s Neil Dainard). But as Gwen reverts to a more youthful, carefree state, her family descends into chaos. Arriving on the heels of The Bitter Ash and Sweet Substitute, When Tomorrow Dies concluded Larry’s Kent Vancouver Trilogy with a vivid new sense of style and daring. Working with a larger budget and a more seasoned crew, the director fused elements of film noir and the Hollywood melodrama to deliver a lurid – yet compassionate – investigation of the housewife psyche. Applying Kent’s preoccupation with youthful disaffection to an older generation, When Tomorrow Dies brought new depth to his approach and cemented his reputation as a maverick of Canadian independent filmmaking. • Newly scanned and restored in 4K from the original 16mm A/B negatives by Canadian International Pictures with sound transferred from the original 16mm magnetic final mix • New audio commentary featuring film historian and author Samm Deighan • Archival audio commentary featuring film professor Peter Rist • New introduction to When Tomorrow Dies by Larry Kent • Tomorrow Lives (2024, 9 min.) – New interview with Kent • Independent Evolution (2024, 18 min.) – New interview with film professor David Douglas • New audio interview with Heather Whitehead, daughter of star Patricia Gage (2024, 9 min.) • Talking to Larry Kent (2005, 19 min.) – Archival conversation featuring Kent and Rist • Kent on Kent (1965-1967, 20 min.) – Archival audio interviews with Kent • Mothers and Daughters (1993, 85 min.) – Little-seen Kent feature exploring some of the same themes as When Tomorrow Dies • New introduction to Mothers and Daughters by Douglas • Booklet featuring a new essay by film critic and professor Tom McSorley • Reversible cover artwork • English SDH subtitles
As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner Network member, FilmShelves earns from qualifying purchases. These links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

When Tomorrow Dies (1965)
88 min
A frustrated, despairing housewife and young mother of two, imprisoned by her domestic world and ignored by her succesful husband, becomes increasingly bereft of hope and a means of escape.