Snowpiercer

I haven’t been very inspired to create blog posts lately due to the fact that I haven’t seen the inside of a theatre since March. I know, I know, you can see quality movies on various streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu or Disney Plus; but it really isn’t the same. In these strange days of COVID-19 and social distancing, it just isn’t possible to see a newly released movie in an actual theatre. So instead, I thought I would talk about shows I have recently seen on the small screen that surprised me. This week, let’s talk about ‘Snowpiercer.’ The premise of this dystopian show is that the Earth is suffering from a seemingly irreversable ice age caused by man-made global warming. Temperatures are so extreme, people can not survive outside. The humans that remain live on a 1000 car super train that circles the globe and can never stop. The train is self-sustaining, with cars devoted to raising cattle and growing food, as well as schools, museums and even brothels. Most of the people on the train have paid to live in first or second class accomodations or were hired to live in third class and do most of the labor on the train. The hair in the ointment is a group of squatters who stormed the train right before it took off and eek out a grim living in the tail end of the train. It turns out one of these “tailies” use to be a police detective (Daveed Diggs from ‘Hamilton’), who is given unprecedented access to the first class world when one of their passengers is gruesomely murdered. This show is a fascinating look at how we humans can create a world and home for ourselves anywhere, and how we sometimes bring our prejudices and failings with us. There are several mysteries that are uncovered as the series evolves, and a big cliff hanger that makes me look forward to the next season. If you like dystopian movies, Daveed Diggs, Jennifer Connolly, or even trains, you will probably enjoy this one.