Life Overtakes Me

Life Overtakes Me
Film poster
Directed by
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • April 7, 2019 (2019-04-07) (Full Frame Film Festival)[1]
  • June 14, 2019 (2019-06-14)
Running time
39 minutes
CountriesSweden, United States
LanguageEnglish

Life Overtakes Me (Swedish: De apatiska barnen; English: The Apathetic Children) is a 2019 Swedish-American documentary film directed by Kristine Samuelson and John Haptas. The film shows how hundreds of refugee children in Sweden withdraw into a coma-like illness called resignation syndrome, apparently because of traumatic experiences they had.[2][3][4]

The film was released on Netflix on June 14, 2019.[5] As of October 2021, 100% of the five critical reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[6]

The film was nominated for an Oscar for best short-subject documentary, for the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020.[7]

  1. ^ "Life Overtakes Me".
  2. ^ "'Life Overtakes Me' explores the mysterious illness afflicting refugee children". The Daily Dot. July 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "Life Overtakes Me Review: No Child Deserves This". Ready Steady Cut. July 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "life overtakes me". The Review Geek. July 9, 2019.
  5. ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Life Overtakes Me' On Netflix, A Documentary About Refugee Children Who Shut Down When Faced With Deportation". Decider. July 9, 2019.
  6. ^ "Life Overtakes Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Life Overtakes Me: Documentary (Short Subject)". Oscars. Retrieved August 6, 2020.