What Happened To Monday: Not Really A Review

What happened to great science fiction? One can watch this movie on Netflix and not have to ask that question.

***Possible Spoilers***

The basis of this sci-fi/drama/thriller is that in the future the world is over populated and there isn't enough food. So the brilliant government modifies food to feed everyone. Well the modified food makes everybody have like 20 babies at a time. So the big ol' trustworthy government passes a one child law. This is a problem for seven identical siblings who were born in secrecy. They of course, act as one person by hacking the system so to say and taking turns in the real world. The seven sisters are named after each day of the week (makes it easy right?).

I do have a couple realistic issues with this film.

#1 Western birth rates are actually declining. A birth rate of at least 2.1 is required to maintain population. You have to have at least one child per parent. Western birth rates have been steadily dropping. Many developed countries already have a birth rate less than 2. This is attributed to overall economic decline worldwide. Yep, it's not just the United States of America. People are hurting for cash everywhere.

So smart people are thinking, well if I can't afford a house, I can't afford a baby. Which leaves the majority of new births to lower class folks out of ignorance or as an "oops." This leaves me wondering, how much longer is it going to take before people realize the paradigm we created doesn't work in the long run? Which leads me to...

#2 There is currently enough food in production to feed the entire planet's population. There's right under 7.5 billion folks at this moment, and it's estimated we could feed over 10 billion right now. There is no scarcity of food. In fact, food is one of the world's largest waste products at 1.3 billion tonnes a year. The problem isn't that we don't have enough, it's that people can't afford it. What good is making food if you only give it to people that buy it, and there's no one to buy it?!

The class system that humans have had in place for thousands of years has finally surpassed it's threshold.

Authority has always been dictated by the wealthy. The lower classes have been raised to "obey the law." The law, which is just ideas set in motion by those WHO OWN THE MOST. Yes, you've been following made up rules for no reason. Ages ago, this was kings and queens, etc. But back then, people had the ability to overtake resources and choke off naughty tyrants. This doesn't happen anymore. Almost the entirety of Earth's resources have been consolidated into an oligarchy of some kind. To fight for your so called natural rights means taking up arms against...well you get the idea.

So this movie made me completely get all deep, which is what a good sci-fi film does. Good sci-fi makes you think. It's philosophically stimulating. It makes us question our morality. And this movie definitely will do that.

There's not a lot of character development, but it's totally OK because the point of this film is to cause arguments. Willem Dafoe has brief appearances which do help carry the plot of the sisters. Noomi Rapace plays EVERY SISTER; And she does a damn good job of making each one unique. I was very impressed by how she gave each sister their own quirks and personality. Overall I liked the acting.

This isn't a super cheesy film, (though there are plenty on netflix.) It doesn't quite hit the A+ Hollywood production quality but it stands on it's own damn well. If you're a sci-fi fan or enjoy indulging in dystopian futures, then this is a must watch. For most movie watchers, the concepts might be a bit over your head. I'm going to suggest "Watch it once."