Two Distant Strangers

"Time loop plots -- that is, when characters wake up always on the same day -- have fallen into a tiresome sameness. Since 'Groundhog Day', stories have tried to mix comedy with moral lessons about time and making the most of the present, without really finding a good point of originality. That's why it's nice to be surprised by 'Two Distant Strangers', a Netflix short film nominated for an Oscar. Directed by the duo Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe, the production brings the most current message and story among the nominees in the Academy Award category. After all, through a time loop plot, we enter the life of Carter (Joey Bada$$), a black man who wakes up in his girlfriend's house and whose goal is to go home to see his dog. However, on the way, he meets a policeman. He suffers a violent inspection, is assaulted and, a few seconds later, is murdered. In the next second, the screenwriter's and director's great idea emerges: Carter wakes up again in his girlfriend's bed. He went back in time. He gets up from the bed again, leaves the house and... is killed again. From there, we dive into a powerful story about racism and police violence, with a strong message about what has been happening in the US (and around the world) in recent years. To think and reflect."