Death to 2020: Reflecting on a Year that Won’t Stay in the Past

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“Netflix Logo” by theglobalpanorama is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Gianna Schiavo, Staff Writer

2020 was a year like no other—a pandemic gripped the world, a stand against police brutality and systemic racism was made, and wildfires burned through countless homes on the west coast with a vengeance. Now that 2020 is finally over, many people are reflecting on this nightmare of a year and turning to comedy to deal with it all. Throwing their hat into the ring is Netflix with their comedic event Death to 2020, a witty, laugh out loud hilarious film that acknowledges of how painful a year 2020 was.

With accomplished cast members such as Samuel L. Jackson, who portrays Dash Bracket, a reporter who does not mince words, Diana Morgan, who portrays Gemma Nerrick, a ditzy Brit who is so average it makes her special, Leslie Jones, who portrays Dr. Maggie Gravel, an introverted misanthropist who is not afraid to tell us what she hates about the human race,  Cristini Militoni, who plays Kathy Flowers, a republican extremist who listens to everything she reads on Facebook, Joe Keery, who portrays a stereotypical millennial with about seven different occupations, Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Bark Multiverse, a selfish businessman with no regard for anyone but himself and his bank account, and finally Samson Kayo, who portrays Pyrex Flask, a scientist studying the Coronavirus in the least productive way possible, Death to 2020 takes the stage by storm. This comedic event is told from a more left-leaning perspective of the events that unfolded during 2020, as it focuses on the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, systemic racism, and the U.S. presidential election. In the film, Samuel L. Jackson gets real about how systemic racism has impacted our country, and the importance of the BLM movement.

Death to 2020 will bring back suppressed memories from the year, but in a way that encourages viewers to reflect on the good times, the bad, and everything in between. Everyone struggled through 2020; everyone faced something they never could have dreamt of, but we came out of it stronger, alive with the possibility of the future before of us. This film does not shy away from showing 2020 as it was and it serves as a reminder of how much we have all endured during this whirlwind of a year.