Swan Song (2021)
There are five stages of grief:
Denial: Cameron Turner, recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, is given a second chance via a futuristic “cloning” process. He is molecularly regenerated down to the exact DNA, except for sequences that put him at-risk. But Cameron struggles to believe this clone is him, even after all his memories have been synced. He refuses to accept “Jack.”
Anger: Cameron gets a chance to meet with Jack, and ask him some questions to ease his own doubt. But it angers him when Jack refers to Poppy Turner as his wife, and Cory Turner as his son. Cameron launches a string of expletives at Jack, throws him against the wall, and even threatens to pull out of the whole process.
Bargaining: Cameron returns home to spend one last time with his family before he says goodbye forever, unbeknownst to them. But he faces an internal conflict: neither does he plan on returning to the regeneration facility, nor does he plan on telling his family that he is dying. As he battles these thoughts walking up to his home, he collapses right at the front door and is returned to the facility.
Depression: The head doctor approves Jack to return to ‘his’ family, now as Cameron 2.0. Cameron 1.0 wakes up and realizes the stranger is living in his house, kissing his wife and playing with his son, and slowly slumps into a low mental state. He is delusional, having crazy thoughts, and at night he has a nightmare, waking up with a panic attack. On a whim, he breaks out of the facility.
Acceptance: On getting to his old home, Cameron realizes everything is okay. He checks his devices and sees that he is drawing more, he and Poppy are texting more, and his work portfolio is more productive. He wakes Cory up and they share edamame and apple juice, before he kisses him one last time. Then he gets into bed with Poppy, cries in her arms as she reassures him that they are in a much better place than before, and she is very happy. He asks for their unborn child to be named after her deceased twin, which she agrees. Then he thanks Jack for hiding in the closet while he temporarily took his place, and agrees to return for good, saying goodbye officially to Cameron Turner.
Sometimes I wish life is never-ending
And all good things, they say, never last
And love, it isn’t love ’til it’s passed.
Swan Song is a very somber film about love, loss, and sacrifice. Mahershala Ali delivers a compelling performance as Cameron/Jack in this drama which is set in the near future, Awkwafina stars as the second patient ever in the cutting-edge regeneration process — Cameron is the third — but it is Glenn Close who wins it for me, and although it is not mentioned, she is likely the first patient. On a final note; if you have been seeing a lot of Naomie Harris in very different roles lately, this is a sign to check her out. Her range!
