Totally Under Control

Was this an informative documentary? I say yes. Was it a pleasure to watch? I say no. Do I agree in a political way with the facts they try to depict? Well, I can check all of that myself.

I see ratings of 1´s and 2´s because people don´t like to see Trump being criticized, but what does an opinion has to do with facts? Look it up, check it, if you find errors write them in your review. But to slash something because it doesn't fit your views, that´s kind of silly to me.

I think it´s worth to watch but don´t expect to be happy at the end. Because this is about the failure of a corrupt system and the people managing it.

Not living in the US, I wondered how 220,000 people died needlessly so fast. This movie shows the exact timeline, the responses by the negligent Trump government to a tee and in detail. This shows how a manager of the most important country in the world had COVID 'Totally Out Of Control'! Like in this movie & in books the loss of life due to COVID-19 will be forever remembered like the Spanish Flu of 1918. This is one of best documentaries I have watched and will recommend to my friends and family. Well done NEON!!! 👍😊

When understanding 2020, this will be a good place to start. Totally Under Control covers the beginning response of the Trump administration really well, but in a fast-moving world, it's already outdated now. This did provide a good behind-the-scenes view of the chaos that was happening, and the things I learned shocked me.

Remember Dr. Nancy Messonnier? Exactly. But there she was, the face of the CDC, warning of pandemic and closures necessary to contain it, back in February. FEBRUARY!

Messonnier was swiftly swept under the Trump carpet where all science based experts reside. It is a big carpet, with a growing bump. Huge bump. That is the sad crux of this documentary, a thorough, blow by blow spine-chilling COVID-19 dateline, and the shocking ineptitude and dangerous apathy from the Trump government (if you can call it that) in response. Not much new here for anyone keeping up with the news, fake or not, but when presented in a calm, simmering sequence, plays out like a bloody horror movie. Which, let's face it, it is.

"Totally Under Control" is an impressive cinematic achievement, stretched out like a real time news program, brimming with startlingly blunt interviews, thorough investigations, slick editing, and stunning clips. The parade of despondent experts daunting. The series of unfortunate events mind-boggling.

Just to rub salt deeper into the festering wound, an alternate reality, the successful South Korean response to the virus is not just eluded to, but is presented in all it's meticulous glory. A cold hard slap to the face of American foolishness. Ouch.

A series of bungles, lies, incompetencies, and cover ups, lead to a catastrophe most are still trying to properly comprehend. This is an utterly infuriating watch. A strong drink might help.

The dictatorial and abusive power wielded by the president is at the rotten core of this calamity, and filmmaker Alex Gibney eagerly lets The Don indict himself throughout. Repeatedly. Important agencies bow to his whims, try to massage (in vain) disasters, and for the most part, dare not contradict or question Trump for fear of reprisal. Those who do, are quickly dispatched. Fact or fiction? The lines are blurry.

Will a devastating pandemic that threatens to hurl America into full blown depression finally sway the Kool Aid drinkers, or is this the end of the greatest country in the world? We are about to find out. This important film is ample warning, and a primo election primer.

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Much of what is covered in the film is known, or could be known with some research. The value of Totally Under Control is the way the film lays out, step by step, the timeline of this tragedy. Here's hoping that we do, in fact, learn from this horror show and take steps to be better prepared for future emergencies, whether pandemics or other natural disasters. The more the public questions leaders and demands transparency, the better.