Death is not an easy thing with which to deal, whether it’s real life or on movie screens. To be sure, plenty of characters die in movies, the impact of which varies by the film, but few films actually dig down into the experience of dying or bearing witness to someone else’s death. The new film Tuesday does just that in some profound and frankly weird ways.

The title of the film is actually the name of one of the main characters, Tuesday (Lola Petticrew), who’s dying from an unspecified disease. Her mom, Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), is shown as having been beaten down mentally by her daughter’s illness, leaving the house for hours at a time while a home nurse, Billie (Leah Harvey), takes care of Tuesday.

But the film doesn’t start with any of those characters. Instead, it begins with a colorful parrot that visits several people who are on the cusp of dying, waving its wing over their eyes to complete their journey. This embodiment of death soon visits Tuesday, but instead of immediately helping finish her life, it is taken with Tuesday’s kindness and her desire to see her mom again before she dies. When Zora returns, a wild series of events results in Death ushering the mom and daughter through the gamut of emotions to accept the end of Tuesday’s life.

Written and directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusic, the film approaches the idea of death in a manner that may be uncomfortable for many viewers. Few people want to talk about it as openly as it is here, and the mother-daughter relationship only heightens the emotions that come with that frankness. The fact that Zora is not handling the situation well also throws a wrench into the story, with her having some very unexpected reactions to both Tuesday and the bird.

The bird is the epitome of a storytelling technique known as “magical realism,” as not only is it Death incarnate, but it also speaks in a deep voice and can grow or shrink to extreme sizes. That unusual nature can take some getting used to, and if you’re not willing to suspend your disbelief, you might find the story even more difficult to watch. But for those who can, it yields a number of interesting and touching scenes, especially when it interacts with Zora.

Its mere presence, however, does blunt the overall power of the film. Unlike most other films that deal with main characters dying, the emotions stay somewhat muted as the humans are sharing their arc with the bird. The metaphorical aspect of the story is strong, but it actually takes away from a full catharsis for both the characters and the audience. A late scene in which Zora bares her soul to Tuesday also would have had more weight had it not been included in the trailer.

Louis-Dreyfus is best known for her comedic roles, but she shows here that she’s capable of playing drama equally well. She’s called upon to do some normal and abnormal things in the film, and sells each scene with aplomb. Petticrew has a difficult role, as playing a sick person can often be one note, but she displays plenty of nuance in her performance, including with her interactions with Death.

Tuesday is clearly not a movie for everybody, and even those who may be inclined to appreciate its themes may find its technique a bit jarring. But it lands enough right notes to be considered a success, with Oniunas-Pusic, Louis-Dreyfus and Petticrew navigating through the weirdness to deliver a film that could be a big help for anyone who has a fear of death.

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Tuesday is now playing in theaters.