Short film depicts dramatic penalty for crimes against the new normal

Two men running frantically through the woods. Cops, dogs and a helicopter pursue them into the night. What was their crime?

A 2-minute film by Kevin James

If I had seen this film a year ago, I would have said it was a comical dystopian fantasy. Today, it seems only three steps away from our spooky reality.

The foreshadowing in this film is terrific. Marcus asks Ted: “Out for a little run?” Ted replies: “I just did 7, may do another 7.” You sure will, Ted.

In my forthcoming novel, a similar situation happens to the protagonist. His crime? Sitting by the bedside of his dying grandfather in a quarantined nursing home.

In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 a man is hunted down by a police helicopter and shot for jogging at night. As Bradbury said: “I was not predicting the future, I was trying to prevent it.”

So by sharing this film by Kevin James with friends and family may we prevent such a future where a friendly handshake between neighbours would be considered a crime. A crime of the new normal.

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John C. A. Manley About the Author: John C. A. Manley is the author of the full-length novel, Much Ado About Corona: Dystopian Love Story. He is currently working on the sequel, Brave New Normal, while living in Stratford Ontario, with his wife Nicole and son Jonah. You can subscribe to his email newsletter, read his amusing bio or check out his novel.


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