Oh, what could have been an effective documentary unfortunately can’t get out of its own way.
Documentaries are some of the most underrated types of films out there. They can be very effective, informative, and can even change someone’s life or perspective. 2073 goes an interesting route with their documentary, combining with a mix of a doc style flick and sci-fi futuristic movie of what the world has turned into due to many political events.
Unfortunately, going down that route while bouncing back and forth between the documentary and narrative is the biggest downfall of 2073. When it is in the documentary parts, it’s very engaging and interesting, but then we go back to 2073 and kind of take you out of everything. We have seen this approach work in the past with films like The Social Dilemma for example. But with 2073, it’s a swing and a miss that feels akin to an experimental film you might come across in film school. Even though the documentary aspects are better, they are still messy with flashes of greatness here and there – but nothing more than that.
Another issue with 2073 is that looks and feels very low budget. The cinematography and visual effects feel very much in the realm of a “B-movie”, which also adds to issues with the futuristic choice. Maybe if they had gotten more money to do it, it could have worked (and looked) better. But there are a few scenes that are so obviously filmed in front of a green screen that make will make you cringe.
Overall, 2073 could have been a very interesting documentary if it had a bigger budget and stronger direction throughout. A lackluster story and a bland sci-fi element was either not needed or just needed more by the end. We are simply left with a messy, forgettable documentary. It’s not surprising to see the film get such a limited theatrical release and is now available to view via video on demand (VOD). It is, though, surprising to see such a miss from Neon, who puts together a strong catalouge of film releases year after year.