What would you do if you woke up to a regular day, ended up being killed, and then woke up the next morning to relive something similar? Soon enough, you would figure that it isn't some eerily realistic deja vu but an actual time loop that you're stuck in. How do you get out and stop dying?
I found Two Distant Strangers in search of something relating to time travel, and its synopsis about a man stuck in a time loop immediately pulled me in. I became excited to finally watch something like that, but I didn't think it was about the racist killings of black men by the police in America. I thought I was in for some comedy short film about a black man and a white policeman.
Released in November 2020, the short film would go on to bring Netflix's first win in the category of Best Life Action Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.
In this Oscar-winning short film, a man trying to get home to his dog becomes stuck in a time loop that forces him to relive a deadly run-in with a cop. IMDb
There's nothing like being stuck in a time loop that ends in your death, no matter how many times you respawn on the exact same day. This idea of a certain pattern of killings of a simple and innocent black man who's just trying to get home to his dog after a, you know, normal one-night stand alludes to the killings that have happened to black Americans in the hands of police, even right in the middle of a normal day.
In this 34-minute film, we see a series of unique incidents that are re-enactments of past tragedies and brutal endings of black lives. Strongly portrayed by three main characters—two of whom are black, the main and his supposed love interest, and a white one as the police—one could get a good sense of how these happenings go down. Like one was seeing through their eyes.
I liked how the film was mostly focused on the main character trying to get to his dog so he could take care of it. A very normal day. And then, for absolutely trivial and unreasonable things, his day would be abruptly diverted, ultimately leading to his death. The saddest part is, there's no way out, and "that's the way it is."
That's the way it is
Apparently, the title Two Distant Strangers is a nod to Tupac Shakur's song "Changes," which features the line, "Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers." And the song "That's the Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range upon which "Changes" is based is a recurring tune in the film that gave it a particularly interesting feeling. IMDb trivia
The actors for both main characters depicted the reality of the film's theme as though they truly understood the job. The influx of emotions at times of brutality was almost as though they were telling their own stories.
Comic relief. Somehow the writers managed to bring in some subtlety funny lines to ease tension at certain points in the film, bring some kind of balance to the film's appeal.
The film doesn't introduce provocative concepts but tries to effectively portray what it was like for the innocent lost souls. Short as it comes, yet conveys a powerful message, especially in the end where the main black character realises his fate. "That's the way it is."
A short film in the form of a tribute deserving of its acclaim, I consider it a totally worthwhile film that's not only enjoyable for its brilliance but also reflective of the reality it depicts. It's a 9/10 for me.
Eric Garner had just broken up a fight.
Michelle Cusseaux was changing the lock on her front door
Tamir Rice was playing in a park
Walter Scott was going to an auto parts store
Bettie Jones was answering her door
Philando Castile was driving home from dinner
Botham Jean was eating ice cream in his living room
Atatiana Jefferson Was babysitting her nephew at home
Eric Reason was pulling into a parking spot
Rayshard Brooks was sleeping in his car
Ezell Ford was walking in his neighborhood
Elijah McClain was walking home
Dominique Clayton was sleeping in her bed
Breonna Taylor was sleeping in her bed
George Floyd went to the grocery store
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...as written in the film...
Images are screenshots from the film