SARS-29

It would be more fun to have this disease, than to watch this mockumentary about it.

Pity the two previous reviewers who failed to realise that this is like an extended SNL spoof on the mounting stupidities of humankind in its response to Covid-19. A lubricious blend of Valley Girl and Borat. The lunacy of the interviewees accelerates as the film progresses (conspiracy theories, manmade virus, flat earth, G5, alien abduction). Even the musical soundtrack underscores the intended satire: bits of Holst, Elgar, Satie, and Puccini's Madame Butterfly for the *Chinese* witness (for the uninformed, Cio-Cio San is actually Japanese). By piling on trite and received ideas and deriding the classic self-styled Instagram talking heads who present themselves as sincere and woke, it's a brave attempt at levity in the face of a disaster whose course is still unpredictable as I write (January 2021). Hence the use of the gravelly voice of Morgan Freeman (uncredited) for the voice-over introduction to lend gravitas to what unfolds as a crescendo of mockery.

This "documentary" style of film is low budget and it shows. It is maybe worth a single viewing to see some of what could happen in a more severe pandemic but overall it is barely worthwhile.

I feel the need to add this review because someone obviously was easily offended the film features characters that embrace the left politicaly or encouraged wearing face masks. I didn't realize a film only deserved a star because it has a character that doesn't share someone's political views. However, this is not a political movie. Nor does it contain fear-mongering with a liberal agenda. It is fiction. Anyone thinking that this is leftist propaganda either did not actually watch the movie, or is too easily offended and just did not understand the film.

This has more in common with Netflix's Tiger King than any current pandemic movie, in that it is about crazy characters and equally absurd situations.

It contains intelligent humor that pokes fun at both political spectrums, as well as many conspiracy theories. Does it have a liberal agenda? Apart from imagining a future where there is a minimum guaranteed income, no, not really because it also makes fun of the left though some people may not get the humor but it is there. If you know who Robespierre and Napoleon are, then you'll know this film isn't being very kind to either political spectrum and makes fun of everyone equally.

Overall, if you're looking for a Hollywood blockbuster, this is an easy pass. It is obviously filmed during the first lockdown so the production values resemble those you might have seen on news channels around May of 2019 when people filmed from home, mixed with fake news broadcasts and footage that ties in with the narration. It is not fair to compare this to something filmed outside of a lockdown, not to mention it is available to watch for free on Prime.

You also won't find an action movie here, this is entirely cerebral. It is a fictional documentary about thirty people telling their survival stories so that it is much more like World War Z (the book). I don't want to give anything away but as the film goes on, it has sci-fi and horror elements mixed in that make it very unique. It's not just another fictional documentary. Stay with it as it gets better and better with each character, taking you around the world at times.

If you are looking for an interesting, imaginative and humorous take on what life was like during a ten year fictional pandemic, then SARS-29 is worth a watch.

I was curious to see what is was, given the title. It was interesting how the story presented the possible individual experiences should the virus continue to have a huge impact on society.