A One Mann’s Movies review of “2073” (2025, 3*, 15). (From the 2024 London Film Festival).
Republishing this as it is now out on (limited) general release. Since this was published and the US election result has come in, I would observe that the ‘situation has not improved’.
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This film is a difficult one to categorise. It’s an apocalyptic view into the near future (2073) but also a political essay on today’s dangerous elements in politics and business that might lead us there. It makes this, for me, one of the most depressing films of the year.
They should force viewers to deposit any sharp objects in a bin by the door before going into the screening for this one.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“2073” Plot Summary:
In the year 2073, it’s been 37 years since “the event” that changed the world. A woman (Samantha Morton) is living in the ruins of an American shopping mall trying to stay out of sight of the numerous drones that are using visual face recognition to detect and arrest those undesirable to the state. What led to this appalling state of the world?
Certification:
UK: 15; US: NR. (From the BBFC web site: “Violence, threat, injury detail, distressing scenes, very strong language”)
Talent:
Starring: Samantha Morton, Naomi Ackie, Hector Hewer.
Directed by: Asif Kapadia.
Written by: Asif Kapadia & Tony Grisoni.
Running Time: 1h 25m.
“2073” Summary:
Positives:
- A good discussion starter: a film that makes you seriously think about what data you put online and what apps you use.
- There’s some clever use of drop-in clips from “Children of Men” and “Minority Report”.
Negatives:
- It’s hugely depressing seeing how out of the control the world seems to be at the moment.
- Were the (well-filmed) future elements really necessary to tell the story? It all feels quite contrived.
- Although I couldn’t disagree with any of the documentary elements, it felt somewhat one-sided in its world-view: an anti-right-wing diatribe.
Review of “2073”:
Real but not real.
This is a film of two parts, with the recreations of the apolcalyptic future and then the documentary stuff using archive footage and new interviews. However, the two somehow seamlessly blend together in a disturbing way. In the “current day” (ie 2073) footage, some of the set-up shots are clearly drone footage from EXISTING bombed out cities in Iraq, Gaza, Ukraine or some other disaster zone. And the mountains of rubbish floating in the sea clearly haven’t been set up for the film: they are EXISTING mountains of rubbish from somewhere in the world.
The scenes in the mall with the excellent Samantha Morton (who I was lucky enough to meet a few weeks ago at the BFI) are really well done. Morton is mute in the film but performs the voiceover (which regular readers will know, I’m not a great fan of). In the mall scenes, again, you feel that the sights of some of the families huddling or cooking in the dark are taken from existing refugee footage which feels a bit odd.
The film manages to cheekily include little snippets from some other movies: I spotted “Children of Men” and Morton’s Agatha from “Minority Report”, which is pretty neat. There may be more Easter Eggs in there.
The only other significant player in the piece is Naomi Ackie who gets a nice cameo discussion with Morton.
There’s a nice gag at the beginning of the film with the briefest glimpse of a billboard announcing the re-election of Chairwoman Trump, with a smiling Ivanka. There’s no getting rid of them clearly.
Fact, Fiction or Leftist Propaganda?
The most disturbing part of the film are the ‘flashbacks’ to what created this totalitalian state. We zap around the world to the right-wing states and some of the atrocities being carried out in some of those:
- Drug dealers and even users being shot in the streets of Manila in the Phillipines (why have I never heard of this one before?);
- The suppression and murder of Muslims in India as the police stand by (reference the other LFF film “Santosh“);
- Nigel Farage and the Brexit vote;
- Priti Patel at a Tory conference gleefully announcing an “end to immigration”;
- Trump (of course) encouraging the ‘Proud Boys’;
- Putin and Trump;
- The Chinese government using 9/11 as an excuse to lock up millions of Sunni Muslim Uyghurs in China;
- Uganda; Ecuador;… the list goes on.
A lot of this seems fair and reasonable to attack, but there feels a lack of balance in the piece in that there is no contradictory words from anyone on the right to try to balance some of the argument.
Facial Recognition
The film next turns its firehose on facial recognition technology, with the ability to scan hundreds of faces in a crowd and pull out known law-breakers or (as featured in the story of the film) those below the state-run radar that it simply doesn’t recognise. This is delivered (in 2073) by swarms of drones littering the skies (as also envisaged in the recent “The Kitchen“) scanning the faces of anyone they see and ordering the detention of anyone suspicious.
AI
Of course, AI is seen as a major trigger to the world’s decline. The argument is that you feed it the rules of the far-right state; arm it with the facial recognition technology and human rights go out the window as the AI implements the worst form of government.
The ‘tech-bros’ of Silicon Valley are positioned as the evil masterminds in all of this. Zuckerberg, Musk, Thiel, Bezos are all tarred and feathered.
Who is supposed to take action and how?
Samantha Morton’s character implores (repeatedly) that “It’s too late for me… but maybe it’s not too late for you.” But, there is no clear call to action when it is positioned that big tech, politicians, AI and even global warming are all the problem… and they are already here. The result is that it leads you as the viewer into a spiral of depression and despair that you can’t see a way out of. It really is the most depressing film of the year I’ve seen so far…. and I’ve seen “Joker: Folie á Deux“… that’s saying something.
Monkeys?
There is a “monkey” at the end of the titles. This is of the AI giving you a 1-to-1 interrogation.
Summary Thoughts on “2073″
The film was directed by Asif Kapadia who previously gave us documentaries on Amy Winehouse, Ayrton Senna and Roger Federer. I’m sure the intentions are well-meaning, but as a target for a message it’s all too broad. He would have been better to focus in on one particular aspect of the issue and give us depth and some real ‘call to actions’ to help us address it. If you’re going to eat the Elephant mate, do it in digestible chunks.
36 thoughts on “2073 (3*): The Most Thoroughly Depressing Film of the Year.”
Please leave a comment: your thoughts are much appreciated!
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “2073”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqvXFR-pSI.
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Ugh. The billionaires weren’t “tarred and feathered” in any way in this film. There wasn’t even a resolution to the tyranny made clear in this piece, so not even a significant denouement for a film narrative. But it’s pretty clear who you, sir, see as the “real victims” of this movie that is inherently an opinion piece made into trash-chicken cobbler.
All dystopian films are thought experiments into how we will survive but also to reflect back whether we hold any true values about human kind, or if we’re just greedy solipses and none of us deserve a future.
And yeah, the “Right” doesn’t need to have a say in other people’s opinion pieces when they now control the narrative and will until we all perish from the myriad spinning plates we’ve set into motion.
May you find swift passage to the other shore. 🙏🏽
Thanks for commenting. I think from your comments you seem to think that I am supportive of these extreme right wing views and am some sort of right-wing apologist. I am very much not! My criticism is that I thought the documentary should have given more time to the right wing to defend their (indefensible, in my opinion) views, just in the interests of balance. When I say the IT tech billionaires were “tarred and feathered” I am perhaps putting that a bit too strongly…. but it is good to see them at least indicted as a part of the problem. It is tragic to see Zuckerberg join The First Lady (Musk) in junking any form of control or fact-checking of Meta output – – another nail in the world’s coffin that supports this film’s narrative.
what ballance has the right got regading this film
I’m neither left nor right but it’s very clear to me that the left wing has never believed in free speech and that they are the true fascists and bullies. Know your history. Yes, 2073 is a left wing fairy tale. They are already indoctrinating your children in the state run schools.
Agree to disagree.
The left wing in the U.S. believe in freedom, civil rights & free speech. Trump & MAGA are the true fascists, removing free speech & freedom, destroying the country. Yes, know your history accurately. Fascism is traditionally identified as a far-right ideology.
You got to be kidding ? Biden administration controlling media 100% ,putting people in jail …… Not to mention stealing billions from the taxpayers ! All has come to light . Using all the three letter government agencies just like Hitler used the gestapo . All the while the left cheering them on ……… STOP lying to yourself !
“I’m neither left or right but here’s my far-right fascist opinion”
Do we really need right wing balance in this movie when the right outright owns entire social medias platforms? We are bombarded with their misinformed and propaganda *every day*. Don’t you see that?
Oh, I do see that. But I think by fascist’s trying to argue their point they just dig a much deeper hole for themselves. You see that happening all the time in the US media with the ridiculous Fox News attempts to justify the administration’s actions.
Were you complaining the previous 4 years when social media platforms were controlled by the left? When the white house would call Facebook and Twitter and demand content be removed because it was inconvenient for them. Were you upset about that?
Not to mention Biden’s idea of a ministry of truth. Imagine if that had actually passed. Right now it would be Trump’s puppet controlling it instead of Biden’s. I’m sure the left would suddenly oppose it, despite being the ones who created it.
You’re an idiot buddy. Seems you’re blaming everybody who isn’t far left like you. Enjoy the film and don’t be a twat. Based off your comment I’m assuming you complain about everything in life and all your problems are because of other people in the world. May you enjoy being alone for eternity:)
Haha… “far left like you”… how wrong you are. I can’t relate virtually any of your comments to my review (which I’ve re-read again just now). I’ve been accused in these comments of being a far-right sympathiser. And now of being far left. You’ve accused me of being an “idiot” (my PhD might be a defense) and of being a “twat” (probably my numerous good friends would agree with that one). So, I disagree with your comment but (unlike in Trump’s America at the moment it seems) I believe in free speech so I’ve posted your comment anyway.
You had me convinced to watch at “anti-rightwing diatribe”. Thank you!
Glad to help. BTW, I am myself very anti-right-wing-extremism…. I’m not sure that comes across in the post, but my criticism is that I thought the documentary should have given more time to the right wing to defend their (indefensible, in my opinion) views.
It’s a polemic, not a news programme. ‘Both-sidesism’ is in no small part what’s got us here. Kapadia constructs compelling arguments using the words of the people he holds responsible. Fair play to him.
Holding him to account for perceived imbalance is fiddling while Rome burns. Metaphorically and literally.
Thanks for commenting. Fair point, and in no way would I endorse ‘the other view’, but I think it would have made the film more interesting to hear it.
This is not left or right view matter. This is truly a problem humanity facing right now. That most of people are short sighted to see and have no experience to solve the problem because humanity has never solve the problem.
Global warming and extreme resources exploitation of capitalism that turns our earth to bank account numbers that mean nothing!!!! That number is an illusion and our environment is messed up and needs million years to recover. That means the humanity is on the verge of extinction.
Trump just signed out of global warming pack, drill drill drill.
If I have a nuke bomb, I will set it off in the Pacific Ocean to let the rich people understand the islands and missile site they have as dooms day hideout, the money they continue to make by messing up our only globe is that same as I set off a big nuke in the ocean.
The earth is only one bathroom. The law must prevent everyone to destroy it, and everyone must clean it truly after he uses it. The best scenario we maintains it, it functions for everyone every time, but worst it’s stink bomb that everyone dies in his own shit!!!!
Wake up people!!!
I agree that Trump’s ridiculous pronouncements have made me even more depressed than the film did. The road to ruin.
the right does not offer anything good that helps people,thats a fact, the left are not relevant in this film. its just truth on what is happening to the world,its not left or right,it just is. sleepwalking into a shit world,with heads stuck in phones watching shit. while governments takeaway our rights.
I don’t disagree with what you say here – “sleepwalking into a shit world…. while governments takeaway our rights” – that’s what makes the film so depressing for me. (And the last two months have amplified that enormously). But even in documentaries about Nazis, say, I find it informative to hear the opposing point of view. Since often in their stupidity they amplify the reason why you are on the side of the film-makers views. The documentaries of Louis Theroux are very good in doing this really well.
My favorite dystopian movie was Soylent green- set in 2022, made in 1973, sound familiar?
Yes indeed… very similar! Must watch that again.
The current world is a hot mess! Just read the comments on this page. We are all to blame for the demise of the world. We chose to elect men whose only goal is to dominate others.
Humanity is being exposed for being a system based on an inability to live by the rules of nature. Everything is crumbling and being exposed. Everyone points the finger at everyone else. The land is spitting the people whom are abusing her out. Humanity heavily in denial, living in an image fake materialistic world in which Man thinks he has illusory power.
by the look at it Soros is going to live and disturb humankind till 2073
Your Goebbels is showing.
I’ve been accused of being both fascist and far left for my comments on this film, whereas I’m middle of the road liberal.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have read your reviews and all the comments you received and although I quit being a part of Twitter due to the hateful thoughts and vocabulary between right and left Megan on Etc I have thoughts regarding this movie i’m running down all these thoughts before listening so I don’t sound like an idiot unlike most of you I’m a senior citizen and have seen a lot in my lifetime I’ve also experienced much good bad never rich and barely middle class but I’ve managed to live a good life even with all the disappointments and hardships I have been homeless hungry a single mother and probably any other type of life you can think of I say these things first because I don’t want you to think that I’m making these comments either right or left but just of my own I believe that the movie 2073 touched me in a very personal way and grade school we were being taught about the pollution and Lake Erie the phosphorus in our detergent and how important it was to recycle and take care of our planet 50 years later I see very little Improvement yes we have electric cars and yes we have trash companies who allow us to recycle for a price unless we don’t do our own recycling at our own cost and people just don’t so blood I believe that 2073 is a possibility in my lifetime I never used to believe that I always thought that I would miss the event that destroyed our world and our way of life as a citizen I believe being educated before you vote there are many forms of media and I believe that if you look and read each one and then make a truly informed decision you might have a chance in helping our government and our world the news Clips in this movie are real I live through all of them yes a director can clip and splice news clips and film portrayal to be perhaps dramatic but their point is to look at what is happening something that a race of ours doesn’t yes our civil rights freedom of speech and ability to live is being taken away what will you do when AI runs everything what will you do when someone you know or love is arrested because of what they think or believe what will you do when you realize your children are going to live in a terrible world and you did nothing to prevent it these are the things that keep me up at night and make me worry about what can be done I feel helpless in a world that I don’t believe I have any control over and there are millions of people who feel the same way as I do our economy is bad prices are high oil is our enemy but they’re always two sides to every story oil is bad but you think prices are high now get rid of major items we use and see what our economy or your unemployment rate does see what your 401k does or how all countries of the world can’t get along finding a way to keep our world will be different and I don’t know who is going to do it I only know it has to be done I don’t have the answers maybe you do maybe you should do something instead of pointing fingers at each other 2073 may actually look different than the movie portrays but the ideas presented here are real and the end result is a possibility thank you for listening
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I am also ancient (over 65) and I share a lot of the feelings you have expressed. I tried to keep a fairly balanced view on this film politically (I have been accused of being far right and far left in different comments!) But I feel appalled that the world is swinging to the right in the way the film portrays… even more so in the period since the film was at the LFF and I wrote that review. Fascism seems to be firmly engrained in the US, but since this review it has its grip on the UK via the ‘Reform’ party…. who are seriously a possible victor in the next general election in the UK. My father fought in WW2 to defeat fascism, yet now we seem to be rolling over and inviting it through the front door.
I tried to leave a decent comment and say all the things that needed to be said but your system didn’t take it I wish it would I do have something to say
No – as below, I got your comment and published it.
i believe there’s signs this movie may have true insight. We must do the due diligence to see between the truth and lies presented to us today. I want to be n position to do good even through bad. Lets learn and grow accordingly
Reply to this person below…
Everything Biden did…Trump has done 1000 times worse. Tik Tok has been heavily controlled and allowing DOGE to go in and get our data should be discussed. Both sides may have tried to control the media…but look at what Trump is doing to the media…Bannon stated the first thing they were going to do is discredit the media and now look we don’t know what to believe.
As for the Ministry of Truth…again Biden tried to do control the narrative but now look at Trump he has his opinion and hands in everything. It is only true it he says its true…he lied about the cut in the pool and he lies about everything.
The point is they want us to hate/ not like each other…we have someone to blame beside the real culprits.
Were you complaining the previous 4 years when social media platforms were controlled by the left? When the white house would call Facebook and Twitter and demand content be removed because it was inconvenient for them. Were you upset about that?
Not to mention Biden’s idea of a ministry of truth. Imagine if that had actually passed. Right now it would be Trump’s puppet controlling it instead of Biden’s. I’m sure the left would suddenly oppose it, despite being the ones who created it.
I don’t disagree with you. The US is in a constitutional mess as far as I can see as a Brit. It seems bizarre to me that you have a 1st amendment allowing free speech but I can’t go to the US (I don’t want to even try for an ESTA) based on what I’ve said online about your tangerine tyrant. And MAGAts accuse the UK of restricting free speech! You couldn’t make it up!