A remarkable new documentary capturing the final months of celebrated poet Andrea Gibson's life with incurable cancer has arrived on Apple TV+. Come See Me in the Good Light offers an unflinching yet beautiful portrait of Gibson and their partner Megan Falley navigating diagnosis, treatment and the profound reality of mortality.
A Poet's Approach to Terminal Illness
When Andrea Gibson received a diagnosis of incurable ovarian cancer in their late 40s, the Colorado poet laureate chose to confront the illness with characteristic honesty and unexpected humour. Rather than avoiding clichés about cancer 'journeys' and 'battles', Gibson decided to embrace them fully.
The documentary, directed by Ryan White, follows the couple at their home in rural Longmont, Colorado, capturing intimate moments between medical appointments and chemotherapy sessions. Gibson and Falley live in three-week increments - the time between blood tests that measure the cancer's progression and treatment effectiveness.
"This is the beginning of a nightmare, I thought ... my worst fear come true," Gibson reflects early in the film. "But stay with me ... because my story is about happiness being easier to find once we realize we do not have forever to find it."
Dark Humour and Unvarnished Truth
The 104-minute film, which won the audience-voted festival favourite award at Sundance, finds its strength in the couple's disarmingly dark humour and complete transparency. Scenes frequently show Gibson and Falley addressing the filmmakers directly, inviting them into their most private moments and raunchiest jokes.
One particularly memorable early scene shows the couple collapsing in laughter at the dinner table after Gibson joked that Falley would "finger the cancer" out of them. This blend of profound emotion and irreverent comedy creates a documentary that feels both sacred and refreshingly human.
White skillfully weaves together readings of Gibson's most poignant poems with archival footage from their earlier years - from a closeted queer child in rural Maine to a depressed young adult who found purpose in spoken word poetry. The film charts their evolution into a commanding performer who sold out rock clubs, with Falley joking they were called "the gay James Dean".
Confronting Mortality Through Art
The documentary tackles several heartbreaking ironies with remarkable clarity. It explores how Falley, who spent years working on a memoir about body image issues, watched her partner desperately long for any body that was healthy. It captures Gibson's impossible decision about whether to pursue experimental treatment that might extend their life but risk permanently losing their voice.
Perhaps most movingly, the film documents how gender confusion and dysphoria, long central themes in Gibson's work, seemed to dissolve in the face of mortality. "I don't know myself by my gender any more - it's almost like your identity itself sort of drips off of you, it sort of falls off," they observe.
For someone who had lived with a "persistent desire to die" and openly discussed self-harm in their art, cancer brought a surprising shift - a powerful and profound desire to live.
The documentary culminates in Gibson's final public performance, a celebration of life before death attended by friend and producer Tig Notaro. While the film doesn't mention Gibson's death in July at age 49, it stands as a luminous tribute to a life fully lived and a love that transcends even the most devastating circumstances.
Come See Me in the Good Light is now available to stream on Apple TV+, offering viewers not just a story about dying, but a powerful meditation on what it means to be truly alive.
