Film: Doomsday Book

Director: Pil-Sung Yim & Kim Jee-Woon
Genre: Sci-fi Anthology
Source: South Korea (2012)
Rating: Unrated - PG-13?
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Watch
Grade: C+

An engrossing but ultimately uneven anthology film, Doomsday Book contains three short films that all deal with the end (perhaps?) of humanity. The first and third segments are funny and apocalyptic, as infected zombies riot in segment one and a giant asteroid hurtles towards earth in segment three. Both are a little bit off the wall, a little bit silly, and play with ideas like sin and redemption loosely and somewhat clumsily. They are cute, but not much more.

The second segment, however, takes the ham-handed religious elements of the other two segments and allows them to breathe and expand. As a result, not only does its exploration of faith and existence seem more profound, it also feels more honestly earned. There is no tacky Biblical quote to help us understand the obvious metaphor; instead, we are left with some questions.

The superior segment revolves around a robot repairman who arrives at a Buddhist monastery to discover that the monks' serving robot has apparently achieved enlightenment. As he, the monks, and the corporation that makes the robot contemplate the implications of this development, he also has to rethink what the line is between human inhuman, and between human and divine. (By the way, a deep mistrust of corporations and capitalism seems to be, like faith, a thread running through all three films). Can a machine be enlightened? Does this make it superior to humans? As the line between the human and inhuman becomes increasingly blurred, what does this mean for our own sense of identity and worth? Are we technologically hastening our own extinction? (Think of it as a benevolent first step toward SkyNet). The second segment allows a little bit of ambiguity, and it isn't so focused on just being clever. Rather, it wants to make us think.

It's a fine piece of film. It just doesn't fit as well with what comes before and after it. That tonal incongruity makes this a nice anthology to break up and watch in three distinct segments, but it makes it harder for all three short films to feel of a piece.