I know you have recommended shows and movies to me before, but for my English class (you know the one where I get to watch Netflix) I wanted to recommend a movie to you. I think you would enjoy the Netflix Original movie called What Happened To Monday. I know you like movies and shows that make you think, and this is definitely one of those movies.
In a dystopian future where only one child is allowed per family, a grandfather of septuplets hides them for their entire life. In order for them to go out into the world, only one of the seven is allowed to leave. Each of the seven daughters is named after the days of the week and they are each allowed to go out on the day of the week that is their name. They all share a single identity so that they will not get in trouble for not being an only child. The movie picks up with them being in their late 20s, but there are many flashbacks to help the viewer understand their situation better. Overall, this movie was really interesting and it had an ending that was very unexpected.
One of the most amazing aspects of this movie was the fact that a single actress played the part of seven different characters and they all had very distinct personalities, attitudes, mannerisms, and body language. The visuals and editing made it look like there really were seven different people in a room, when really it was just one. The brilliant performance alone of Noomi Rapace, the woman who plays the part of every sister and actually won an Emmy for this role, is what makes this movie so entertaining and keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. Also, during scenes of action, which happened quite frequently, the visuals and special effects were very fitting for the aesthetic that the director created for this movie. They were also pleasing to the eye because they were not only futuristic, but they were executed powerfully.
What I didn’t understand was why the director chose to not make the technology in this film more advanced considering it took place 50 years in the future. While there are obvious advancements such as cryo-freezers, which is where they put siblings if there are more than one, I would have thought that the technology in this film would have been more prevalent than it was. It may represent the fact that while this society is in the future, they may still be stuck in the past. I think another problem about this film was that the themes throughout it were somewhat weak. There is a lot of action that takes place, but the film lacks an overall thematic resolution.
In spite of these few criticisms, I think this was a very compelling work of science fiction. I really think you would enjoy this movie, so let me know if you want to watch it sometime. I’d love to see certain things that I missed when I watched it the first time around.
Mary Claire,
ReplyDeleteWhat Happened To Monday sounds like an incredibly interesting movie. You are right that the unique and thought-provoking plot intrigues me, I would love to watch it sometime soon with you! Dystopian and futuristic plots are really great at pushing the mind past current social norms, and the feeling for the characters in their unique circumstances help encourage empathy in real life. I really support them because they create a lens to better analyze our world and society with and depict characters we can relate to. As for the logistical aspects, the actress’s skills and the special effects allowing her to play 7 different characters reminds me of The Parent Trap and Lindsey Lohan’s ability to convincingly play both twin sisters. If she won an Emmy then it must be pretty remarkable. Award winning movies and actor/actresses always draw me in, and if the quality of cinematography and visuals are as good as you say they are, that would make the movie worth watching right there! I can’t wait to find out what the surprise ending is!
-Emily