Two hitmen, vet Natasha (Nika Khitrova) and newbie Art (Riley Bowes), are sent to retrieve a wealthy couple’s debt. However, like everything else in 2020, COVID-19 poses some issues for the assassins. When the wealthy couple, Bobby (Logan Perkins) and Sam (Asia Lynn Pitts), are adamant about everyone in their proximity adhering to the Coronavirus rules and regulations, the hitmen must find a new way to complete their task. CoVig 19 is Natasha and Art’s journey toward success.
Regardless of your opinion of COVID-19, whether you believe it’s serious or not, the reality is that the world has experienced a paramount makeover throughout the past year or so. Some people have gone to extremes to make sure that friends, family, and everyone else around them are safe from this monstrous virus. While those measures are admirable, one can’t help but think that some people overreacted to what is occurring in the world. Writer-director James H. Lee and co-writer Mark Lesser design CoVig 19 in a way that highlights the ridiculousness of the pandemic and the ways in which the world has reacted. Their plan to expose their targets is ludicrous but is planned and well-executed.
Both the acting and the story are absurd. Nothing about these traits is appealing, and, for just a split second, viewers are baffled at how poorly delivered these points of CoVig 19 are. The director never grounds the absurdity in a sense of realism, so the stakes are minimal. And the actors are all going as big as possible, which can be funny, but it dilutes their mission’s seriousness. As the comedic short plays out, it becomes even more evident that nearly every aspect of the movie will be presented in a subpar fashion.
“…COVID-19 poses some issues for the assassins.”
However, it quickly becomes apparent that the somewhat insane nature of the film is used to mirror and, in some ways, embellish the very essence of COVID-19. Lee and Lesser use this to express their personal feelings toward the virus and the series of new norms present in the United States. The themes and ideas they are stating are that much of what is happening is unnecessary, which runs the risk of upsetting and turning off viewers. In many ways, the cast and crew antagonize their viewers and intentionally rattle them, forcing them to think about the reality of their current situations.
CoVig 19 clearly aims to express how ridiculous some aspects of the pandemic are and that, in many ways, the things the masses are most worried about are the wrong things altogether. Director Lee is successful in conveying this message and bringing to light the absurd details of the virus and the reactions to it. In an odd way, it causes viewers to step back, take a look at themselves, and do their best to question whether or not the reality they are creating is healthy. If that is what Lee wanted to accomplish, good job.
Even beyond COVID-19, there are elements in CoVig 19 that allow the audience to look at the other aspects of their lives and analyze the validity of what is occurring. While there are times when it runs the risk of failing to make any sense, the truth of the matter is that it’s beautifully designed to offend and question the world in which we live.
"…to look at the other aspects of their lives and analyze the validity of what is occurring."
