Underdogs is available to rent or buy from May 17th.
Some films demand a repeat viewing, the first layered with so many themes and ideas that your brain cannot fully process the director’s vision. Chino Moya’s ambitious, dystopian sci-fi anthology is one of these films, its intelligent, unnerving spiderweb of stories is both compelling, beguiling and full of rich social discussion. In many ways, Undergods reflects our current pandemic life more than any film recently directly using pandemic as a narrative tool. But, Undergods unspoken reflection of our pandemic world is not due to its dystopian atmosphere and location. Instead, Moya’s film is wrapped in a dark commentary on human progress, selfishness, greed and inequality. Its reflection of our current world is built on the open and growing divides in privilege, place and opportunity; divides further highlighted by COVID 19.
In a post-apocalyptic landscape of burnt out buildings, poverty and despair, K (Johann Myers) and Z (Géza Röhrig) drive a garbage truck. Their job is to collect the dead bodies that litter the streets on their route. However, they occasionally find a live one, with these rare gems harvested for slavery. These dark and sombre scenes act as the frame for three stories, each taking us back in time while also dovetailing with the darkness of the present.
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While centred on themes of family, masculinity, and equilibrium, each story is wrapped in overarching concepts of equality, belonging, wealth, and status. Here, we find a man invading his neighbour’s home, an inventor proposing a project only to be betrayed and a husband mysteriously reappearing after fifteen years away.
Each of these stories weaves together into a rich tapestry of social conversation. Here, the divides created by our modern obsession with success take centre stage with Moya’s camera reflecting the darkest corners of our hidden world. And when coupled with outstanding cinematography and a compelling, tense electronic score, Undergods becomes an unforgettable cinematic experience.
