The Day Shall Come review – entertaining but slight satire

It’s strange enough that we live in a world in which Donald Trump, former host of The Apprentice, is President, but it might be stranger still that Chris Morris, one of Britain’s great satirists, could turn out a film like The Day Shall Come. Not that it’s bad by regular standards; it simply lacks the razor-sharp observational humour that one would associate with the creator of Brass Eye. More “humorous diversion” than “biting satire,” it’s a little too derivative of Morris’ previous film (masterpiece?), Four Lions, and also – shockingly, bewilderingly – a bit dated.

Morris’ target this time around is the FBI, who – since 9/11 – are desperate to find the next big enemy in the ongoing war on terror in order to justify their own existence. Morris’ film presents us with a fumbling bureau who are willing to essentially fund potential terrorists so that they can catch them in the act and take the credit. It’s an intriguing and fascinating premise, especially since Morris prefaces the film by telling us it was “based on a hundred true stories.”

As with Four Lions, Morris attempts to endear us to the actions of moronic fundamentalists. Whilst in that film it was possible to feel some genuine affection for the bumbling would-be-terrorists, though, the characters here feel more like empty vessels at the mercy of a conflicted script. This time round we hone in on Moses (Marchánt Davis), an altogether harmless preacher who leads a mission in Miami called the “Star of Six.” He’s targeted by the FBI as somebody they might be able to bait into an act of terrorism, but their efforts don’t quite go to plan – especially when it becomes apparent that Moses is mental unstable, given a tendency to converse with a horse (which he imagines to talk) and a belief that he can summon dinosaurs to attack his enemies at will.

Anna Kendrick plays Kendra, the FBI agent leading the operation, and she delivers one of her standard, peppy performances, showing a knack for Morris’ dialogue, though her character isn’t fleshed out enough that we ever understand her motives. Is she a simple careerist or does she actually care about catching the right people? Morris drops evidence to support both theories, but this only serves to make the vague intentions of his film even murkier.

The Day Shall Come is perfectly watchable, and there are enough snarky one-liners here to keep the laughs coming, most of which have co-writer (known for Veep and Succession) Jesse Armstrong’s prints all over them. But after an hour the film gets caught in a cycle of repetition, and – lacking enough material to warrant even its short runtime of 88 minutes – begins to fizzle. The overall lack of polish makes The Day Shall Come seem less like a passion project and more like something churned out. Given it’s been nine years since his last feature, it’s the last thing you’d expect from Morris. In retrospect, a dinosaur attack might have gone a long way.

★★★☆☆

By: Tom Barnard

Get The Day Shall Come showtimes in London.