---
title: "Death to 2020"
year: 2020
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/death-to-2020"
fi1m_id: "death-to-2020"
imdb_id: "tt13567480"
tmdb_id: 773655
wikidata_id: "Q104013554"
fi1m_score: 47
critics_score: 52
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-30T20:31:28.833225+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-30T20:31:40.292518+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Death to 2020 (2020)

Directed by Al Campbell, Alice Mathias · 1h 11m · MPA NR · Comedy

## Identity

Death to 2020

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/death-to-2020
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** death-to-2020
- **IMDb ID:** tt13567480
- **TMDB ID:** 773655
- **Wikidata ID:** Q104013554
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13567480/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/773655, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104013554

**Fi1m score: 47** · Critics 52 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Ten famous faces explain a year you lived through, in case you were not paying attention

> Charlie Brooker’s mockumentary hires a fine cast to say what everyone already thought about 2020, and the news clips do most of the work. Kudrow, Grant and Morgan earn their minutes; the other fifty or so are the year replayed with captions.

## Synopsis

A documentary crew looks back over the year 2020, starting with the Australian bushfires in January and working through the calendar. Narrator Laurence Fishburne walks us through the archive footage while a panel of experts explains it: Dash Bracket (Samuel L. Jackson), a newspaper reporter who has seen enough; Tennyson Foss (Hugh Grant), a historian who cannot keep his dates straight; Jeanetta Grace Susan (Lisa Kudrow), an unofficial spokesperson for the Trump White House; and Gemma Nerrick (Diane Morgan), introduced as one of the five most average people in the world. The virus arrives, the shops close, and Kathy Flowers (Cristin Milioti), a suburban mother, starts spending more time on her phone. Queen Elizabeth II (Tracey Ullman) has views on her grandson’s departure.

## Review

*Death to 2020* is a 71-minute mockumentary that looks back at the year in the style of a prestige documentary: archive footage, a solemn narrator (Laurence Fishburne) and a row of experts lit against dark rooms. Charlie Brooker is one of 18 credited writers, and the shape is his. It is the end-of-year Wipe he used to make for the BBC, with film stars where he used to sit. The idea is sound. It arrived on 27 December 2020, before the year was quite finished with us, and it has the feel of something delivered in a hurry so as not to miss the wake.

The cast are better than the script, and three of them justify a look. Lisa Kudrow plays Jeanetta Grace Susan, an unofficial spokesperson for the Trump White House, who denies things the interviewer has just shown her, flatly and without blinking, then denies having denied them. It is a precise piece of acting about a common kind of lying, and Kudrow never once reaches for the laugh. Hugh Grant’s Tennyson Foss is a historian in corduroy who cannot hold a fact for the length of a sentence, played with the same pleasure in being disliked that Grant found in [*Paddington 2*](https://film.one/film/paddington-2). Diane Morgan, as Gemma Nerrick, introduced as one of the five most average people in the world, gets the best lines because hers are written for a character rather than at a target.

Cristin Milioti has the only strand with any movement in it. Kathy Flowers begins the year as a suburban mother with a phone and ends it somewhere we will not describe, and Milioti lets the change reach her eyes before it reaches her mouth. Samuel L. Jackson, as the reporter Dash Bracket, is given the job of saying what the audience is already thinking, which is thankless, and he does it without complaint. Kumail Nanjiani’s tech billionaire Bark Multiverse and Joe Keery’s Duke Goolies are each one joke told several times, and Samson Kayo’s scientist Pyrex Flask and Leslie Jones’s Dr. Maggie Gravel are on hand mostly to be exasperated.

The trouble is that the jokes are the ones everyone made at the time. The film shows a clip of a politician saying something foolish, then cuts to an actor saying that it was foolish, and 18 writers have not found a third beat. The sharpest writing is in the narration, a dozen or so descriptions of public figures that Fishburne delivers in the voice of a man reading a will. Between them the archive does the work. We laughed, properly, four times in 71 minutes, and we know it was four because by the halfway mark we had started counting, having noticed how much of the running time was footage we had watched the first time round and how little the film added to it. Then we were irritated, and irritation is not the feeling a comedy should leave you holding.

Alice Mathias and Al Campbell direct, and the mimicry is exact. Jamie Cairney and Adam Silver light the interviews the way prestige documentaries light them: a soft key from a window, a bookshelf out of focus, the subject a little off centre. Damon Tai and Jason Boxall cut between archive and talking heads at a pace that never lets a clip settle, which keeps things moving and also means nothing lands harder than anything else. Tracey Ullman’s Queen Elizabeth II and Angelo Irving’s Boris Johnson are impressions, and the film has the sense to use them briefly.

Brooker’s Wipe programmes worked because he was on screen, cross and specific, and because a year of television was a smaller target than a year of history. Here the target is everything, the writers’ room is large, and the film has the smoothed quality of something everyone agreed on. Most critics split down the middle on it. So do we, though we land on the colder side: the performances deserve a script that had something to say about the year beyond that it was bad.

It carries a 15 certificate and a tagline that ends in an exclamation mark, which tells you the level of the analysis. If you would like to be reminded of 2020 by people better dressed than you were at the time, this does it in 71 minutes. If you would rather not be reminded at all, that is a complaint about the year and not the film, though the film gives you few reasons to overrule it.

*Fi1m score 47, published 30 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews split evenly, with a slight lean against. Most critics agree the cast is the reason to watch: Lisa Kudrow, Cristin Milioti and Diane Morgan are singled out repeatedly, even by writers who dislike the rest, and Samuel L. Jackson and Leslie Jones are credited as its voices of sanity. The kinder notices call it a sharp, cathartic send-off to a wretched year, with the election-night coverage and Charlie Brooker’s short, cutting descriptions of public figures drawing the warmest words.

The reservations cluster on the writing. Several critics find the satire broad and familiar, a recap of a year too painful to be funny yet, and the Evening Standard says it is weaker than Brooker’s Screenwipe and that seventy minutes is too long. The spread is wide: NME finds it hilarious and cohesive, while The Hollywood Reporter and Vulture call it hacky and limp, a special that feels as long as the year it describes.

## Straight answers

**Is Death to 2020 worth watching?**

*Death to 2020* is worth 71 minutes only if you want the year replayed by a well-dressed cast, and we scored it 47. Lisa Kudrow, Hugh Grant and Diane Morgan earn their scenes, but the jokes are the ones everyone made at the time, and the archive clips do most of the work. We laughed four times and then grew irritated.

**How long is Death to 2020, and what is it rated?**

*Death to 2020* runs 1h 11m and is rated NR by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy film.

**Where can I watch Death to 2020 in the US?**

*Death to 2020* is streaming on Netflix in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Death to 2020, and is it suitable for children?**

*Death to 2020* carries a 15 certificate in the UK and is a talking-heads comedy, not a frightening or violent film. What earns the rating is adult language and the subject matter, a year of pandemic, politics and bushfire footage played for laughs. It is not for children, and teenagers may simply find it dull.

**How does Death to 2020 compare to The Day Today?**

*Death to 2020* borrows the same trick as [*The Day Today*](https://film.one/tv/the-day-today), mimicking a serious news format exactly, but the earlier programme is the funnier and sharper of the two by some distance. Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci fill the format with lunacy that still has an angle; Brooker's film mostly shows a clip and has an actor agree it was foolish. Start with *The Day Today*.

**What should I watch after Death to 2020?**

After *Death to 2020*, try [*The Day Today*](https://film.one/tv/the-day-today) (1994, Fi1m 86): The news format taken apart from the inside, with jokes that still have an angle. Then [*In the Loop*](https://film.one/film/in-the-loop) (2009, Fi1m 86): Armando Iannucci’s people in power are stupid in specific, quotable ways; and [*Best in Show*](https://film.one/film/best-in-show) (2000, Fi1m 84): Talking heads who are wrong about everything, played by people who mean it.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Los Angeles Times**, Lorraine Ali (75/100, inferred): Ali finds the mockumentary a bitingly funny, cathartic send-off to a terrible year. She singles out the cast’s inspired performances and the sharp satire of the election-night coverage. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-12-31/death-to-2020-netflix-review)
- **The AV Club**, Zack Handlen (B-): Handlen finds the special largely unnecessary, though it offers a mildly cathartic recap of a chaotic year. He praises Samuel L. Jackson’s role as a steady voice of sanity and notes that a few character bits build effectively into absurdity. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/death-to-2020-offers-an-unnecessary-summary-of-a-misera-1845951588)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The article appears to review the 2020 special, but its verdict and specific praise or criticism are not available in the supplied page text. The page returned only a JavaScript and ad-blocker message. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/arts/television/yearly-departed-death-to-2020.html)
- **RogerEbert.com** (62/100, inferred): The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint can be reliably identified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/death-to-2020-netflix-tv-review)
- **Sight and Sound** (45/100, inferred): The critic finds the satire intermittently effective but too familiar and blunted by its broad, predictable approach. Cristin Milioti’s performance as a bigoted conspiracy theorist is singled out as especially compelling. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/death-2020-charlie-brooker-netflix-satire-annus-horribilis)
- **IndieWire**, Ryan Lattanzio (D+): Lattanzio finds the special profoundly unfunny and an ill-judged recap of a year too painful to revisit. He singles out the tired stereotypes and jokes, while noting that Leslie Jones provides the most sensible center. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/death-to-2020-netflix-review-mockumentary-special-1234606724/)
- **Evening Standard**, Nancy Durrant (2/5): Durrant finds the satire weaker than Screenwipe and says its 70-minute runtime outstays its welcome. She praises Lisa Kudrow’s chilling performance and the script’s inspired incidental jokes. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/death-to-2020-review-charlie-brooker-b526524.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (20/100, inferred): Fienberg finds the special hacky, unfunny, and lacking a distinctive angle, making it feel as interminable as the year it recaps. He praises Diane Morgan’s performance as Gemma Nerrick as a clear highlight with a specific voice and perspective. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/death-to-2020-tv-review-4109480/)
- **Vulture**, Kathryn VanArendonk (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the special a limp, unimaginative recap that fails to make its political comedy fresh. Lisa Kudrow’s pitch-perfect performance is singled out as a highlight, though the script gives her little to work with. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/death-to-2020-netflix-comedy-special-review.html)
- **NME** (88/100, inferred): The review finds the mockumentary hilarious and cohesive, calling it a sharp comic account of a chaotic year. It especially praises Brooker’s concise, cutting descriptions of public figures and the show’s satire of documentary conventions. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/death-to-2020-review-black-mirror-2846011)

## Details

- **Director:** Al Campbell, Alice Mathias
- **Director:** Al Campbell, Alice Mathias
- **Writer:** Charlie Brooker, Tom Baker, Kemah Bob, Ken Bordell, Munya Chawawa, Constance Cheng, Alan Connor, Erika Ehler, Charlie George, Eli Goldstone, Mollie Goodfellow, Jason Hazeley, Angelo Irving, Kae Kurd, Alison Marlow, Thanyia Moore, Joel Morris, Michael Odewale
- **Cinematography:** Jamie Cairney, Adam Silver
- **Editor:** Damon Tai, Jason Boxall
- **Producer:** Tom Baker, Carl Craig
- **Cast:** Samuel L. Jackson as Dash Bracket; Hugh Grant as Tennyson Foss; Lisa Kudrow as Jeanetta Grace Susan; Kumail Nanjiani as Bark Multiverse; Tracey Ullman as Queen Elizabeth II; Samson Kayo as Pyrex Flask; Leslie Jones as Dr. Maggie Gravel; Diane Morgan as Gemma Nerrick
- **Runtime:** 1h 11m
- **Certificate (MPA):** NR
- **Release (the US):** 27 December 2020
- **Genres:** Comedy
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veUqfcyZ_Bo

## Where to watch in the US

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-30.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Cunk on Britain* (2018): Diane Morgan’s idiot historian, given a whole series and a far better script.
- *The Day Today* (1994), Fi1m 86: The news format taken apart from the inside, with jokes that still have an angle. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/the-day-today.md)
- *In the Loop* (2009), Fi1m 86: Armando Iannucci’s people in power are stupid in specific, quotable ways. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-loop.md)
- *Bob Roberts* (1992): Tim Robbins’s mock documentary about a singing senator; political satire with a plot.
- *Best in Show* (2000), Fi1m 84: Talking heads who are wrong about everything, played by people who mean it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/best-in-show.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/death-to-2020