Plots(1)
In at least one respect End Day from BBC productions is similar to Hollywood’s Groundhog Day (1993). In the latter film the protagonist wakes up every morning to relive the same day. In the documentary version, scientist Dr Howell also wakes up to the same day every day. While America bet on romance, Europe has remained loyal to pessimism and tragedy. Each day diverse catastrophic events occur (a great tsunami, an asteroid, a deadly epidemic, a black hole). The viral paranoia relating to the end-of-the-world theme has flooded the internet with maximum intensity in the past few years. Various versions of the end of the world are considered. Catastrophes have become big business for the media. All we have to do is choose one of the film variations at hand and watch the end of the world (one of which may be our own) from the comfort of our couch. It is the same with Dr Howell as he watches the extinction of the population every day. Without learning any finer details or gaining exact information, he only observes the current events. Just as we all did when watching the fall of the Twin Towers. We had no means to prevent it. We just watched the end. As one of the protagonists says, “It is not important if and how it happens but when it happens.” All we can do is watch helplessly. (Academia Film Olomouc)
(more)Reviews (1)
Definitely it's not about a document, but about a television game on a popular catastrophic topic (even from the title it exudes a certain sensationalism and grandiosity). Volcano eruption, giant waves, or a flu pandemic would be a trivial episode in terms of species survival... For so many disasters at once, the game is somewhat short and the actors don't have the opportunity to create characters that the viewer could identify with. The "act of god" itself is presented in a greatly simplified manner, but that can be forgiven in a dramatic show. Overall impression is 50% considering the special effects, which are above average for a show of this kind.
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Gallery (4)
Photo © British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
