2073

Ignore this being called a "movie". It is not. It is a documentary punctuated by some illustrative fictional moments. Just keep in mind that this can be a very upsetting viewing experience.

As if we needed anything else to make us angry, divided, stressed, worried, etc, this hard slap across our faces is meant to wake us up to what is actually happening in our world...and where we are heading if we let it. No wonder the 1% want us to keep our eyes locked on our smartphones and Tik Tok.

I was not expecting this when I pressed play, but I'm glad I squirmed through it.

Be sure and stay beyond the credits, as there is an interesting hidden scene.

I need a drink...

The documentary parts and the fictional parts did not really link together well. Perhaps if the short running time had been extended a more involving narrative to connect the two could have been presented.

But it was well edited, with news footage included that is often censored from the mainstream media, making an uncomfortable watch for some. Whatever message you get is likely distorted by your own left/right biases, though its likely that those with right wing views will opt out after a few minutes, after all, there is much to think about here.

On the very day I watched this, the news was filled with out of control wildfires in California, mark Zuckerberg joining Elon Musk on his ' free unmoderated speech' crusade, The Trump proclaiming how he might invade Greenland, Canada, and Panama?

A few years back, crises would arise, take up all of the news, fade away, then everything back to normal. Its possible we might never see normal again?

The atmosphere this "movie" sets up is brilliant. The downtrodden, harrowing, depressing, soul crushing vision of the future. Had it told that story in the fictional 2073 world and simply tied it to the real life events, it would have worked fine just fine.

But then it drops back into early 2000's and starts weaving real life footage of events from all over the world into its tread... and loses what was built at the start.

It becomes a documentary that's trying to present itself like in a feature film form but it ends up being neither. There isn't just one message here, there are countless, each touching on everything you'd see on some conspiracy theory You Tube video or obscure website visited by people with questionable mental faculty. Reemergence of the far left in mainstream politics, corrupt interconnected politicians, systematic disassembly of democracy, abuse of power, abuse of social media, racism, environment, and so on and so forth.

Don't get me wrong, all of the topics it touches are worthy of your attention and should be addressed, sooner rather than later. But the moment you tangle real life events with fictional narrative... the relevance of the message becomes fictional itself.

This documovie offers causes to issues, exacerbates them as a stepping stone into the fictional environment and the offers nothing in the form of a solution, just a melancholic voice over from the main character that deliberately tip toes around what it really wants to say.

Shame. Because if this had been a fictional movie or a proper documentary... I think I would have loved it.

Genre-bending. The same director as the Amy WInehouse documentary which I also loved. This director is refreshingly bold and inventive. He pushes you to confront the brutally realistic future scenario his film puts you in to warn you where we are headed if we stay complacent. It is a huge wake up call and a call to action. I was shook and found it so emotionally effective. It is a fresh concept that I think works though I know many people seem to hate that it blends genres. I really liked the blend. I found the use of archival to be perfectly executed and the acting by the lead actress was incredible. The film left me sad, angry, yet artistically inspired. I highly recommend.

Most dystopian tales are about a place that could never exist. They exist in the stories and draw parallels to our time or serve as metaphors for our struggles. This movie is not a documentary, but it uses documentary to explain how the future will be created by what is happening now and by what's happened in the last 2, 5, 20, and 30 years.

It doesn't offer hope or answers. Answers aren't that easy. Hope may be a fantasy. What if this is all happening and there's nothing we can do about it? Is it too late already? "If we do not act when we can will we fall off the cliff?"

Will voting change anything? Will not voting change anything? Will continuing to consume and benefit from technological comforts yield any different result than going back to a simpler life that is unconnected to information collection?

These are not equations answered in this movie. But they're questions I have because of it.

I'm sure there many people who think this film is leftist propaganda. These same people don't see how bad things are in this country and the world. They're ok with making American great again. I'm not sure we are ever going to be ok again, neither is this film.

This is not for everyone.