Songbird never quite achieves what it sets out to accomplish, but it certainly deserves a tip of the hat for trying to make a movie about a universally trying time. And while his fantastically ridiculous character might be right at home in a Coen brothers or superhero movie (both of which are in his wheelhouse), he feels out of place in this film, which is attempting to focus on the humanity of those struggling with loneliness and human connection. Sometimes, they seem at cross-purposes with his own needs. Tasked with getting the infected into the Q-Zone, he stabs the healthy from time to time for reasons that are unclear. As the sleazy head of the Department of Sanitation, his power has run amok in a way that doesn’t make sense. Where it’s most noticeable is with Peter Stormare, an actor who’s known for playing some pretty over-the-top bad guys. But the disjointed filming seems to have translated into performances that don’t quite fit together. And it’s all melodrama, all the time: The musical score gets a 5 out of 5 violins. The reliance on tight, handheld camera work is reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. Songbird takes leaps in logic that are impossible to get past. But just like the quarantine-staple Zoom meeting, things sometimes get lost in the static. Shot on iPhones and laptops, it truly is a feat. Certainly, recognition is due for managing to make a movie while respecting quarantine restrictions: This is guerilla filmmaking with an exclamation mark. Songbird is directed by Adam Mason and was released on Dec 11th, 2020. Technically, this qualifies as a “thrill ride” - as in, it has unpleasant ups and downs, there’s jerky camera work that leaves you queasy, and it goes nowhere in a hurry. During a pandemic lockdown, Nico, a young man with rare immunity, must overcome martial law, murderous vigilantes and a powerful family to reunite with his love, Sara. As Nico tries to make an escape for them, we meet the others connected to his plan: a wealthy married couple (Bradley Whitford, Demi Moore) whose daughter has an autoimmune disease, a small-business owner (Craig Robinson), an aspiring singer (Alexandria Daddario), and a disabled veteran (Paul Walter Hauser). When health agents start removing occupants in his girlfriend Sara’s (Sofia Carson) virus-ridden apartment building, courier Nico (KJ Apa) - able to roam freely as one of the “Immunies” - becomes desperate to get her out. In an attempt to control the airborne COVID virus, the government has instituted harsh lockdowns and curfews and put the Department of Sanitation in charge of moving all the sick to a quarantine zone. SONGBIRD takes place in 2024, with a deadly pandemic ravaging the United States. Starring KJ Apa as a COVID-immune delivery boy, this Michael Bay-produced response to the pandemic somehow makes COVID even less fun. Cast: KJ ApaSofia Carson, Craig Robinson, Bradley Whitford, Peter Stormare, Demi Moore
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