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Wow, Nothing Like Looking in a Mirror Just for It to Shatter

MOVIE REVIEW
Detention 101

Genre: Sci-Fi
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 12m
Director(s): Shari Berman
Writer(s): Shari Berman
Cast: Michael Cuomo, Caroline Luft, Kathryn Danielle, Stacie Capone, Shari Berman, Stephanie Bardavid, Ethel Mae
Where To Watch: TBA


RAVING REVIEW: What were you expecting? Well, this isn’t it. I’ve seen a lot of films in my life; I’ve even seen several pandemic-related films just this year. I haven't seen anything like this!


From Director Shari Berman “This whole thing is a reaction to 2020. It’s a giant collage of thoughts and feelings. I felt like we were all in detention, getting a timeout from the world as we expected it to be and being put in boxes to think about what we have done.”

I figured I couldn’t say it any better than the creative mind behind the film; this was a creation of our times and had just the right amount of 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY threw in, thanks to the writer/director as the AI to make you feel how small our world is.

The film's story was a bit outside the box, but that didn’t make it any less personable. The entire time I watched the movie, I could feel the familiar steps and paces we’ve faced as a global community over the last several years. The familiar sounds, those square boxes, and so much more have that all-too-familiar feel that lets you feel comfortable with the experience. That’s where the connections to my world start to differentiate themselves from the film. 

“Four adults are detained in their apartments with only each other and a computer for online company. They each come from a different class with differing views, but they all have one defining purpose to understand why they are really being held hostage in their own homes. The AI controlling their fates has other ideas.” I wanted to share the film's synopsis (although I generally don’t). This shows what the film is about without ruining the experience. 

You may look at a Zoom call in a different way than you did before watching this. It was fascinating to take a concept and flip it on its head. When you get the chance to check this out, make sure to pay close attention; little details are sprinkled throughout that encapsulate the experience. The film's ending ties everything together while ripping it apart in what I consider a perfect finale.

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