‘Death to 2020’: Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about mockumentary from ‘Black Mirror’ creators
The year 2020 has been chaotic. And it would only make sense for someone to try and make sense of this apocalyptic year in popular culture. Who better than Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, the masterminds behind the anthology series 'Black Mirror', to take on this endeavor? Here’s all you need to know about their new mockumentary feature ‘Death to 2020’.
Release date
‘Death to 2020’ will premiere on Netflix on December 27, 2020.
Plot
As per the official synopsis of ‘Death to 2020’, “2020: A year so [insert dire adjective of choice here], even the creators of ‘Black Mirror’ couldn’t make it up… but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a little something to add. ‘Death to 2020’ is a comedy event that tells the story of the dreadful year that was — and perhaps still is? This landmark documentary-style special weaves together a chorus of narration from some of the world’s most (fictitious) renowned voices with real-life archival footage spanning the past 12 months.” As per Netflix, ‘Death to 2020’ is “the cathartic comedy event you’ll never forget about the year you really, really don’t want to remember.”
Cast
Samuel L. Jackson
The 72-year-old American actor and producer is widely regarded as one of the most popular actors of his generation. With a vast filmography, Jackson has especially been noted for his roles in the Spike Lee films ‘School Daze’, ‘Do the Right Thing’, ‘Mo' Better Blues’, ‘Jungle Fever’, ‘Oldboy’, and ‘Chi-Raq’, and in Quentin Tarantino films like ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Jackie Brown’, ‘Django Unchained’, and ‘The Hateful Eight’. He has also played Nick Fury in 11 Marvel Cinematic Universe films, beginning with a cameo appearance in ‘Iron Man’, as well as guest-starring in the television series Marvel's ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’. He will reprise his role in a future Disney+ series.
Hugh Grant
The 60-year-old British actor is best known for his roles in notable romantic comedies such as ‘Notting Hill’, ‘Bridget Jones's Diary’, ‘About a Boy’, ‘Two Weeks Notice’, ‘Love Actually’, and ‘Music and Lyrics’. Most recently, Grant starred in the HBO psychological thriller miniseries ‘The Undoing’ opposite Nicole Kidman. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and an Honorary César.
Lisa Kudrow
The 57-year-old American actor, comedian, writer, singer, and producer, came to international prominence in the 1990s portraying Phoebe Buffay in the American sitcom ‘Friends’, which earned her Primetime Emmy and Screen Actors Guild awards. Kudrow has also made several notable film appearances, including roles in ‘Analyze This’, ‘Dr. Dolittle 2’, ‘Bandslam’, ‘Hotel for Dogs’, ‘Easy A’, ‘Neighbors’ and its sequel ‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’, ‘The Girl on the Train’, ‘The Boss Baby’, ‘Long Shot’, and ‘Booksmart’.
Cristin Milioti
The 35-year-old actor and singer is widely popular for essaying the titular character of the mother on 'How I Met Your Mother'. She is also known for her work in theater productions such as 'That Face' and 'Stunning'. She also won a Grammy award and got nominated for a Tony award for her work in the musical 'Once'. She also appeared in 'The Wolf of Wallstreet' and Season 2 of 'Fargo'.
It also stars Kumail Nanjiani, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Diane Morgan, Leslie Jones, Joe Keery, and more.
Creators
Charlie Brooker
The 49-year-old television presenter, author, screenwriter, producer, satirist and social critic is best known as the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ‘Black Mirror’, and has written for comedy series such as ‘Brass Eye’, ‘The 11 O'Clock Show’, and ‘Nathan Barley’. He has presented a number of television shows, mostly consisting of satirical and biting criticism of modern society and the media, such as ‘Screenwipe’, ‘Gameswipe’, ‘Newswipe’, ‘Weekly Wipe’, and ‘10 O'Clock Live’. He also wrote the five-part horror drama series ‘Dead Set’. He has written social criticism pieces for The Guardian.
Trailer
In the minute-and-a-half-long trailer, viewers are introduced to the various characters, including Jackson's character, Dash Bracket, a reporter for New Yorkerly News. "So what is it you guys wanna talk about?" his character asks before we see a montage of events that shaped the year -- politics, protests, and of course, the pandemic.
We are then introduced to other characters featured in the comedy special, including Grant as Tennyson Foss, a history professor, Ullman as Queen Elizabeth II, and Kudrow as Jeanetta Grace Susan, a political spokesperson, and author. As the clip comes to an end, Jones, who stars as behavioral therapist Dr. Maggie Gravel, quips about 2020, "I'd say it was a train wreck and a s***show, but that would be unfair to trains and s***."
If you like ‘Death to 2020’, you will also like
‘Borat’, ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’, ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’, ‘What We Do in the Shadows’, and ‘Brüno’.