SONGBIRD

Clearly aiming for a mix of Steven Soderbergh's 'Contagion' and 'Southland Tales', the film's diverse influences also seem to include David Koepp's 'Premium Rush', David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet' and Luc Besson's 'The Professional'. As you can imagine, the end result is a dog's breakfast.

Just to hammer home that this film is capitalising on very real anxieties, 'Songbird' was filmed in mid-lockdown Los Angeles in 2020, apparently ignoring a few COVID protocols to do so. This is like making a 'Godzilla' movie while the people of Tokyo are still trying to avoid being squished by a giant iguana.

The film's ideology is also troublesome. Civilians have applications on their phones which can be used to detect if you have caught the virus - if you do, the government is notified and special forces kick down your front door. Quarantine - a key aspect of every government's public health response - is presented as fascist but necessary. Don't even get me started on the "Q-Zones" and the use of that particularly controversial letter as a wacko dog whistle. It even romanticises the gig economy!

KJ Apa seems like an okay bloke. I have enjoyed 'Riverdale' on occasion and, of all the actors on that show, he is one of them. But this is such an awful career choice by him. And Bradley Whitford! A guy with starring roles in socially conscious films and TV series like 'Get Out' and 'The Handmaid's Tale' should know better and have plenty of money to live off without taking this job.

The creative team of 'Songbird' straight up took advantage and churned out this mess while the world was still struggling to understand COVID. Demonising the practical measures taken during a pandemic and building a saviour narrative for those who oppose them, 'Songbird' is a relentlessly stupid movie from all angles. Simultaneously poorly made and made in the poorest of taste, this film is undeserving of your time and money.