‘Carnage’: Review
British Comedian, Simon Amstell has created the world’s first Vegan mockumentary and it has exceeded all expectations.
“Carnage” is set in a utopian 2067, and looks back on a previous time (our present day) in horror that humans once ate meat. Veganism is so common in this future that they are not called “Vegans”, but instead, meat-eaters are called “Carnists”.
“We are not Vegans; they are carnists”
The mockumentary is strung together by interviews, archival footage and a hilarious AA-style meeting where elders talk about how traumatised they are by their meat-eating past. There is a scene where the members pass around a beanbag and, in great distress, name cheeses that they used to eat in the past.
Amstell targets corporations like Burger King and McDonalds throughout the film, and shows how dissociated people are to what they consume: “In 1995, taking your children to watch a likeable pig escape death [Babe], followed by a celebratory Happy Meal, was completely acceptable.”
One of the films strengths is how Amstell uses both contemporary media and fabricated footage to bring to life the utopia he has created. Several celebrities have cameos in the mockumentary, such as Martin Freeman, and Joanna Lumley, which of course adds to the fantastic and dramatic acting of the film. It is quite hilarious to see Martin Freeman attempt to convince his mother (who is suffering from Alzheimer’s) to eat meat when she had forgotten that it was normal to consume animals.
Whereas a lot of Vegan films are renowned for having unbearable scenes of animal abuse, a great deal of “Carnage” is humour based, with just a touch of factory farming exposure. It does not point fingers or continuously complain about what is wrong with the world; it has a lighthearted approach and parodies both Vegans and omnivores.
With thanks to Ana Bonitch
