2020 (A 1917 Parody)

Made to look like one continuous shot, 2020 hinges on a ticking-clock scenario, which does jokingly, although quite relatably, surround the search for more toilet paper before curfew goes into effect. The action is always focused on the roommates, who, similar to the soldiers in 1917, playfully banter with each other and divulge their inner thoughts. It helps that Michael Lieberman and Colton Eschief Mastro are convincing as roommates who interact with ease and are simply trying to deal with the world’s current state (for all I know, they are actual roommates).

When Michael and Colton are separated from each other, Colton is left to wander the streets, which are flooding with protests, bored kids, hungry millennials waiting to retrieve their Postmates order, and pontifical “Karens.” The camera movements, angles, and transitions are incredibly fluent and engaging. In particular, one transition involves the camera smoothly leaping over a wall and into a Walmart parking lot, which is a testament to the power of editing.

“…rather innovative in how it shines a disturbingly authentic light on what’s happening in our world while concomitantly being a rigorous love letter to 1917.”

Then one of the best scenes unfolds, as the roommates are ducking below cars, trying not to be seen, and the camera gradually pans up to unveil a withering wildfire in the distance. By keeping the perspective limited to the roommates, the reveal of a distant wildfire is completely modest and genuinely devastating.

2020 certainly has sardonic humor poking fun at the priorities and concerns people have in a Covid-19 world: the whereabouts of a Postmates delivery, an innate fear of “Karens,” and the need for toilet paper. But, truthfully, 2020 is rather innovative in how it shines a disturbingly authentic light on what’s happening in our world while concomitantly being a rigorous love letter to 1917.

The camera consistently lingers on Colton without an obtrusive tremble, turning the viewer into a passive observer who’s able to behold every emotion that he endures. 2020‘s technical fluidity — from the dramatic music to the seamless editing to the breathtaking cinematography, which is composed of hypnotic, free-flowing close-ups — is evidence of what can be achieved cinematically even with a paltry budget.