Zoya Lowe (Mary Louise Parker) only has five days to live. There’s a black hole growing in her chest, right between her lungs — and when it gets big enough, she’ll be sucked right into oblivion. It’s an ironic end for a theoretical physicist, as black holes are more likely discovered in the bodies of astronauts. Zoya has never been to space, though there was a time when she believed that she could do anything. But the ambitions she courted as a young woman have since been snuffed out by the monotony of life, of marriage, of motherhood. Now all that remains is the black hole, and five days of “relaxation” with loved ones: her husband Donald (Carlos Jacott), daughter Jayne (Hannah Pearl Utt), and catatonic mother (Fern Katz).
Except Zoya can’t be bothered with the tearful farewells or the quality time. In fact, it almost seems like she’s waiting for something. Those assumptions are confirmed when Day Five rolls around and she excuses herself from a farewell dinner with her family. Alone in the bathroom, Zoya pulls out a curious bottle of pills. She takes one and disappears, waking up again five days prior. Then, she does it all again.
