A poorly veiled rip-off of the 1993 classic Groundhog Day, Quarantine (dir. COVID-19, 2020) is essentially the same movie, with 80% less goofy shenanigans and 100% less Bill Murray. Its cast— a muddy ensemble of squabbling politicians, overworked medical professionals, and celebrities trying to “do their part”— delivers lackluster performances in the wake of a premise that could have truly been extraordinary.
Not to mention, the runtime of this movie is more winding and self-indulgent than a Tarantino movie. (See our review of Tarantino’s new self-isolation vlog, Quarantino, a continuous shot of Tarantino trying on toupees in his 5000-square foot doom bunker.) Just when you think that the plot has hit its peak and can stretch itself no further– it goes further. Like many before it, Quarantine has attempted a departure from the traditional narrative arc and instead opted for the “never-ending-nightmare” format, something only previously attempted by modern-day classics Forrest Gump and Kung Fu Panda 5: Edge of Tomorrow: The 3-D Movie in Concert.
2 out of 19 stars.