The minds behind Black Mirror present a star studded, satirical mockumentary that acts as a burning effigy of the hellscape that was 2020. Death to 2020 is a 70-minute mockumentary that reflects upon and bids a relieved and hopeful adieu to the dreaded year in question.
The mockumentary made great use of the medium. Due to Covid restrictions meaning it wasn’t feasible to gather many actors together, the show comprises a myriad of disparate mock interviews brought together to create a humorous and lively portrait of 2020.
Thus, one of the most notable elements of the programme was the excellent editing. The editing team seamlessly combined real life news footage, stock cliché clips, mock interviews and tied it all together with wry narration from Laurence Fishburne to form one tight, coherent narrative.
The star studded comedic cast created a dynamic and exciting ebb and flow of the narrative. Each actor perfectly embodied their exaggerated character well, though Hugh Grant as a doddering historian and Lisa Kudrow as a gaslighting presidential spokeswoman were the absolute stand out performances. Yet, despite the publicity and excitement surrounding the Netflix special, it did not quite live up to the hype, as a satirical review of the year pales in comparison to the twists and turns we have all experienced during 2020.
Most poignantly, Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones highlight how reality has become scarier and more absurd than a Black Mirror episode. The events of 2020 are almost post-satirical, no jokes or scenarios that Brooker and Jones could write can ever overshadow the sheer bizarre and alarming actuality of 2020. We have gone beyond fictional dystopian satire, and are now living it.
Overall, the gallows humour of Death to 2020 resembles nervous laughter at a funeral. Brooker states that it is not laughing at any of the horrible situations but rather “laughing alongside or despite” the events of 2020. Brooker further stated in an interview with the Guardian that “there’s a certain release in laughing into the abyss, and also a release in remembering you can still be silly even as everything’s collapsing around you. Actually, it’s important to do that.”
This is a very human coping mechanism, one that many of us have employed during the pandemic at one time or another. However, the fact that the events depicted in the mockumentary are in such recent memory and continue to this day is both part of the humour, as well as a jarring shock that takes you out of the comedy; for we remember how scary and upsetting it was to live through it.
One thing is for sure, that this mockumentary will be an interesting cinematic artefact in years to come, as we are able to laugh at the perils we have safely passed through. However, this film is the perfect way to take a moment, catch your breath and chuckle as we continue our journey through this terrifying combination of events, while looking towards a more hopeful future.
3 Stars.
Image Credit: The MovieDB
