Two Distant Strangers
| Two Distant Strangers | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Screenplay by | Travon Free |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jessica Young |
| Edited by | Alex Odesmith |
| Music by | James Poyser |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date | November 20, 2020 |
Running time | 29 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Two Distant Strangers is a 2020 American short science-fiction drama film written by Travon Free and directed by Free and Martin Desmond Roe.[1][2] Nominated for the 2021 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, the film examines the deaths of black Americans during encounters with police through the eyes of a character trapped in a time loop that keeps ending in his death.[3][4]
Synopsis
Plot
In New York, black graphic designer Carter James tries to get home to his dog, Jeter, the morning after a first date, only to find himself trapped in a time loop in which he is repeatedly confronted in the street by a white NYPD officer, Officer Merk. Merk wonders whether Carter is smoking a joint and wants to search his bag. Each encounter ends with Carter being killed by the police, then waking up in the bed of his date, Perri. Carter's first death resembles the killing of Eric Garner ("I can't breathe") in 2014 and George Floyd in May 2020. (Travon Free wrote the script in July 2020.)[5] In one version of the loop, riot police burst into Carter's date's apartment, mistaking it for a different apartment because the door number is hanging upside down, and shoot him there.
After 99 deaths, Carter decides to discuss the situation with Officer Merk. Carter tells him about the time loop, offering Merk evidence by predicting what people around them will do next. Carter asks Merk to drive him home. The journey ends without mishap; Merk and Carter get out of the patrol car and shake hands. But as Carter turns to enter his apartment building, Merk starts applauding what he calls Carter's "noble performance"—"Bravo! ... best of the bunch", revealing that Merk remembers the previous loops. Merk then shoots him in the back, while a pool of blood starts forming in the shape of Africa, and says "See you tomorrow, kid". Carter wakes up once more in his date's bed.
Ending
The film ends with Carter leaving his date's apartment to make yet another effort to get home: "Because it don't matter how long it takes, or how many times it takes, one way or another, I'm getting home to my fucking dog." As the song "The Way It Is" plays, the screen lists the names of black Americans who have died in encounters with police.
Cast
- Joey Bada$$ as Carter James[6]
- Andrew Howard as Merk, an NYPD officer[6]
- Zaria Simone as Perri, Carter's date[6]
Release and Oscar nomination
In March 2021, Netflix acquired the distribution rights and made the film available from April 9.[7] It has been nominated for an Academy Award in the "Short Film (Live Action)" category. Other nominees in the category include Feeling Through, The Letter Room, and The Present.[8]
Awards
- African-American Film Critics Association, Best Short Film (won)[citation needed]
See also
- Black Lives Matter
- Groundhog Day (1993)
- Woke, television series similar in content
- 12:01 PM (1990), Oscar-nominated short similar in content
References
- ^ Dry, Jude (March 8, 2021). "'Two Distant Strangers' Makes Sure Oscar Voters Don't Forget George Floyd". IndieWire. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Menta, Anna (April 9, 2021). "'Two Distant Strangers' on Netflix Is a Time Loop Story With a Powerful Twist". Decider.
- ^ Feinberg, Scott (February 5, 2021). "'Awards Chatter' Podcast — Sean Combs ('Two Distant Strangers')". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Norris, Michele L. (April 13, 2021)."Opinion: We're stuck in a loop of death until we address policing. This Netflix short showcases that". The Washington Post.
- ^ Pener, Degen (January 19, 2021). "Behind the Scenes of New Short Film, 'Two Distant Strangers,' About Police Killings in America". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ a b c Khatu, Isha (April 8, 2021). "List Of Actors Who Were Part Of Netflix's Short Film 'Two Distant Strangers' Cast". RepublicWorld.com.
- ^ Rodriguez, Karla (April 9, 2021). "Director Travon Free’s Oscar-Nominated 'Two Distant Strangers' Reflects the Time We Live In". Complex.
- ^ "Short Film (Live Action)". The 93rd Academy Awards, 2021.
External links
- IMDb
- Official trailer
- "Joey Bada$$ shakes 'up old trauma' in short film". USA Today. Associated Press. March 10, 2021.
