Externo (2021) – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)
Externo, while at times tapping on that line of being too art-house, presents a compelling journey as one man vies to take over the world.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Externo, while at times tapping on that line of being too art-house, presents a compelling journey as one man vies to take over the world.
| Director(s) | Jonathan Taub, Leandro Taub |
| Screenplay By | Leandro Taub |
| Date Released | 6/30/2021 |
| Where Can You Watch? | Film Festival (Queens World Film Festival) |
| Genre(s) | Crime, Drama, Romance, Non-English, War |
| Duration | 83 Minutes |
| MPAA Rating | Not Rated |
| Noted Cast | |
| Joseph | Leandro Taub |
| She | Elizabeth Ehrlich |
| Zeta (Narrator) | Christian Bargados |
Film Summary
With only $2,000, Joseph walks us through the process of how a poor man can rule over the world. Be it by manipulating the stock market, lobbying, conning, taking advantage of crises made, and coercing government officials to your will, he breaks down a rags to all-powerful path for you.
Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Reason(s) for Film Rating: There isn’t any cursing or sexual content, but there are mild conversations about drug wars, physical wars, and potentially disturbing imagery.
Review
Highlights
A How-To Guide To Take Over The World
Could taking over the world be as easily done as Joseph spells out? No. However, it seems the big picture here is to help you understand how people gain power that means something. That is, not you being a manager or director of an office, but becoming a force within an industry or having the influence to wield policy. And by no means does Externo venture towards taking some fantasy route. Nearly every decision Joseph makes is based on logic, and as the film cheekily pushes the idea no one would ever truly use these ideas, you can already come up with potential names who have used these methods.
Disputable
It Dances Upon The Line Of Being Too Art House
Joseph shares with the narrator, Zeta, the process of how to dominate the world, and during the times Zeta is talking, Joseph is either doing carpentry or other activities, which could correlate with where he is at in his multi-chapter plan. Now, for some, this can seem artsy to the point of alienating, especially considering there are really only two starring roles, which are Joseph and She, so having Joseph do these strange activities could be a bit much.
Yet, you could also submit to protect himself, Joseph has to do something to fill his time. Plus, with how isolated he is, the artsy moments, him pounding his chest like Matthew McConaughey in The Wolf of Wall Street, might be the only thing keeping him sane?
Joseph and She
“She,” as she is referred to in the credits, has the kind of role where you so badly wished it was expanded upon. For as it is now, “She” appears, has a back and forth interaction with Joseph about their relationship, and then disappears – rarely with any sort of resolution. And considering “She” goes without a name or story, it almost makes you wonder if her only purpose was to show Joseph as desirable? If not present the idea to maintain his power, he cannot be with her since that would give him a weakness. Not just due to her being potentially exploited, but also his inability to both focus on the needs of his operation as well as learn and execute what she needs as his partner.
Overall
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
While we like what Externo is selling, we must admit this isn’t going to be for everyone. Joseph’s quest for world domination is mostly a solo feature, and while Taub holds your attention, his antics when not manipulating world leaders could lead to a raised eyebrow, if not disinterest. Hence the mixed label. Externo is very cheeky when it wants to be and definitely presents a logical way any person could manipulate swaths of the world, but when it ventures towards the unusual, it could lose some of its audience.
