In the swirl of COVID Pamela Givers (Gabrielle Miller) as a registered clinical counsellor soothes and probes the emotions of emotionally afflicted clients. Pamela is mask and hand sanitizer obsessed so she is hardly COVID neutral and she is not without emotional problems herself.
A client of Pamela, film producer Dev Greene (Ben Immanuel) approaches Pamela with the idea of him producing a documentary on the possible effects of the COVID lockdown on society, particularly mental health and in doing so he will interview some of her clients all COVID afflicted to some degree but not so completely, spicing up what could have been yet another COVID centric production. The viewer may sigh and say not again as haven’t we heard all this before? Yes, we have so on rolls, through the documentary interviews and the therapy sessions, the usual side effects of the lockdown on personal relationships, incessant video calls, “stay safe” mutterings, endless radio stories, fears of physical proximity, toilet paper shortages, long distance seating, face shields and masks. It’s a yawner to start spruced up by the feisty wine swilling mother from hell Jenny (Camille Sullivan) blasting poor flaky daughter Lennon (Natalie Farrow). Sullivan kept me watching and I am glad she did as the film intensified as we are introduced to some eccentrics, deluded, motor mouths and COVID paranoiacs.
These cast of characters possess interesting case studies on humanity which is far more gripping than a “boring COVID story.” Emotions of the clients and their friends fly deeply making the film compelling with the intensity relieved by satire, lampooning and old-fashioned humor. There is rage, defiance, fear, gratitude, forgiveness and compassion not to mention a masterful lampooning of social media influencers.
The motto? COVID didn’t completely socially obliterate relationships it often altered them and sometimes for the better.
Impeccable casting but Camille Sullivan as Jenny, Natalie Farrow as Lennon and the loquacious Jayme (Elliot Ramsey) sparkle and draw you in.
VOD release 30September2025.
Written and directed by Ben Immanuel.
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Film Rating 83/100.
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