We can all admit that 2020 has been one hell of a year. An unrelenting boxing match that seemed to never waver, each punch more gut-wrenching and strenuous than the last. Yet, as we look onto the hope of a new year, a vaccine that could return normalcy and a changed perspective, we can also look and take in all that has come to pass. For many, we need to reconcile what has happened over the last year to embrace the future, for others, we just need a release.
Thankfully, Netflix and the creators of Black Mirror have embraced the past year, finding a cathartic release for themselves and for viewers. Just when you thought you “had watched it all”, the latest promotional thank you from Netflix cries, there is still one more “must-see” before the year is out. Death to 2020 is proof, in a year where the artistic industries have been one of the hardest hit, of why we need art to imitate life.
The Year The Was
Kicking off “on the day it was born”, 2020 quickly descends into chaos with a potential World Ward III, the Australian wildfires, Donald Trump‘s impeachment, Brexit, and Boris Johnson. While some may have carried over from the previous year, all belong to 2020. From historical moments of triumph (Parasite‘s Oscar win!) to the world’s favorite celebrity being diagnosed with COVID-19, from cries of justice to cries of election fraud, no stone is left unturned whether it be discussed or shown.
There is not much to say about the year itself, and nothing new Death to 2020 brings to the landscape of the year. We know it, we have all lived through it. Samuel L. Jackson‘s Dash Bracket says it best when he is informed he is there to discuss the year – “Why would you want to do that. I mean really, why?” But it is the way that Death to 2020 tackles the year that makes the recap so necessary, providing humor in the darkness and a moment to take reflection.
The pace and feel of Death to 2020 is intense, yet diligent. Some topics are given more room to breathe while others are skimmed over, a moment in a year that was. Talking heads are created to become “experts” on the year, digesting and analyzing – or in some cases denying – all that has occurred. “Average” citizen Gemma Nerrick (Diane Morgan), Soccer Mom “Kathy” Flowers (Cristin Milioti), The Queen (Tracey Ullman), billionaire mogul Bark Multiverse (Kumail Nanjiani), and more personify the year, resonating the essence of those who became the faces of the year (for both the good and the bad). What transcends the art and the imitation is the authenticity just beneath the surface of many of the “talking heads”. Many times, the genuine emotions and reactions of the actors behind them seep to the surface, no longer a role to play but a genuine experience and perspective to quietly share.
There is little to fault the film, neither side truly safe on any issue, yet the strength and resilience of belief, culture, and perseverance clearly visible. The film’s narrator too seems to have felt the weight of the year, holding back less and less as the documentary continues, the strain of recounting 2020 weighing on him. There are jokes and unending bouts of humor, but there is also a hint of sadness and a horror that lies beneath the surface. This all really happened – and what will the future bring?
Conclusion
Death to 2020 is an examination of the past year with heart and comedic fashion, remembering all that has transpired with grace and tact, all while embracing the reality of the year with comedy and poise. When we lose our comedic facets, too far within the situation, we need a new perspective to maintain our sanity and look forward to the future. Death to 2020 says a farewell to the year in the best way possible, inviting each and every viewer to not only join in the experience but to walk out relieved, having experienced a unified catharsis.
Have you seen Death to 2020? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
Death to 2020 is now available on Netflix!
Watch Death to 2020
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