Covid 19 Ground Zero (2022) Film Review
Up to this point, the few films about the Covid crisis that have come out have to comply with a set of ground rules. Among those a very common and insightful one: The cinematic display of the truly absurd acts you committed in those paranoia-driven days. What was once a normalized act of being careful is now a reflection of days where the media dominated our every action and few of us could think for ourselves.
On the other side, there should be an honest portrayal of the reality we are still leaving behind. Films where the absurd doesn’t shadow the plotline into laughs. We were careful because we were supposed to be. We were taking care of ourselves and our peers.
It feels important to present the film Covid 19 Ground Zero bearing this in mind. The film tells the story of a young couple during the early days of the health crisis and how something unknown completely shifts their lives. And every single thing they do in the film follows a pattern of honest rendition that feels close to the viewer. There’s a sequence where Andy, the boyfriend, is covering a door with plastic wrap and our mind automatically associates this with paranoia. What follows is a revelation that puts Mustafa Ozgun’s in its genre. It was a pivotal move that shifted the tone completely. A bold move that I can’t help but appreciate.
Covid 19 Ground Zero is a collection of scenes that tells many stories at once. Andy is looking for work on Broadway when the pandemic hits and we know where that went. But Jessie is a nurse having to deal with the most difficult work available during modern society’s worst crisis. Her contact with patients has an inevitable effect and she decides to isolate herself in her bedroom. Her boyfriend supports her anyway he can.
But this isn’t Jessie’s story and no one else’s. It’s the story of the heroes that fought a social stance that declared them pariahs out of fear. I can guarantee that more than one will feel identified with the events in Covid 19 Ground Zero. And yes, it’s very unfortunate and sad.
Even Jessie herself can’t stand her own position as an infected person and hides the truth. It’s where the couple’s story moves towards a dramatic territory and a third act that’s ridden with tragedy and romance. A final script decision will be controversial enough to spark some questions.
However, it’s exactly what the film needs to stay in its realistic tone until the end. It’s the way it should work. Covid 19 Ground Zero contains some clips that show how clueless some were in the face of the crisis. Adding this to the realism formula is just a terrible reminiscence of a shameful attitude.
Mustafa Ozgun’s Covid 19 Ground Zero isn’t a huge film. But it’s heartwarming enough to make you look. It never feels claustrophobic and the chemistry between its two characters is powerful enough to make you hold until the end. Just be prepared and get some tissue beforehand. Perhaps, you’ll need it.
