WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Two Distant Strangers, now streaming on Netflix.
1993’s Groundhog Day is one of Hollywood’s most nostalgic and beloved properties, with the fantasy-comedy focusing on Bill Murray’s Phil Connors, a weatherman trying to fix his life after realizing he’s stuck in a time loop. He relives the same day over and over, which allows him to experiment with his love life, career and so much more, hoping to get it perfect while having fun along the way. In contrast, Netflix has a darker take on this property in Two Distant Strangers, with the Oscar-winning short film proving to be a tale of horror as it puts a social justice activism spin on this concept.
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Here, the person stuck in the loop is a Black graphic designer, Carter (Joey Bada$$), who is trying to leave a New York apartment complex after a fling. However, he ends up running into various deadly scenarios outside the building with a white cop, Merk (Andrew Howard), profiling and killing him numerous times. It’s a big statement on police brutality and violence towards people of color in America, with gruesome deaths evoking so many real life innocents.
Among numerous deaths, Carter is shot, whether by accident or for spite, and even suffocated like Eric Garner or George Floyd, pleading for his life and saying he can’t breathe to remind viewers of the tragedies Black people face when it comes to police brutality. What’s so terrifying is that every simulation in the loop sees Merk finding a new way to kill him. It doesn’t matter if Carter surrenders, comes in peace or is still in bed with Perri: Merk always gets him.
The most jarring scene is when Merk leads a SWAT team into Perri’s apartment and they shoot Carter, leaving Perri screaming. This scene evokes the botched 2020 raid when cops entered Breonna Taylor’s home and murdered her. The sad thing is that all Carter wants to do is get home to his dog.
Two Distant Strangers pulls no punches as there’s little to no levity once Carter discovers the loop, which is made even worse when it’s revealed that Merk already knows they’re trapped in an endless cycle and is actually enjoying it. It also addresses stereotypes in how Black people dress, how people assume they’re often drug dealers or concealing weapons and so much more, truly painting a picture of oppression, white privilege, prejudice and discrimination.
Sadly, Carter’s defeated over and over, as he doesn’t know how to escape this oppression despite always playing within the rules and obeying the law. Two Distant Strangers ends with Carter accepting his fate and as we see murals and the names of recent victims of police brutality, it’s no surprise that something so emotionally riveting won this year’s Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
Two Distant Strangers, directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe, and starring Joey Bada$$, Andrew Howard and Zaria Simone, is now streaming on Netflix.
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