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Eye of the Storm (2023)

Eye of the Storm (2023)

A straightforward yet unfocused medical drama set in a 2003 SARS lockdown

6.5

Movie

Hong Kong, Taiwan
Mandarin
Drama, Family
2023
CHUN-YANG LIN
Angel Lee, Chen Chia-kuei, Chia-Kuei Chen
118 min

TLDR

It might have been better as a show than a film.

What it's about

With the outbreak of the SARS virus, thoracic surgeon Dr. Xia and the healthcare workers have to stay in their hospital due to the forced government lockdown.

The take

Eye of the Storm may not directly address COVID-19, but the film clearly draws similarities to the latest pandemic with the 2003 outbreak of the SARS virus. Panic, confusion, and miscommunication over the latest news are shared experiences between the two. These experiences are seen between the interlocking stories of the people quarantined in the hospital, and it’s easy to feel the fear and frustration surrounding them all. The film presents the issues of the overwhelmed healthcare system quite well, but its last moments leave a lot unresolved. While the film figures out the virus’ origin in its universe, the film leaves the healthcare workers’ stories hanging. It understandably reflects the uncertainty present with COVID-19, but it makes the film’s ending feel unsatisfying.

What stands out

The film handles the stories of multiple people in the hospital lockdown. Between the doctors, nurses, journalists, and civilians, there are relatable stories that make it easy to empathize with the people in the hospital. The film has an inherent sense of when to shift between stories, as it shifts right before the sequence loses steam. However, the film’s runtime might have limited the potential of these stories. Perhaps this plot would have given more justice and more understanding to the various narratives had it been a show, but the film does a fairly decent job in covering each of them.

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