The notion that humanity would be better off if there were just less of us isn’t a new one, and science-fiction has been toying with that notion at least as far back as William F. Nolan and George Clayton’s novel Logan’s Run (and subsequent 1976 movie adaptation), which offered up a futuristic world where equilibrium is achieved simply by culling the population with mandatory killings dictated by age. Canadian writer/director Ann Marie Fleming’s new film Can I Get a Witness? takes that basic plot device and runs in the opposite direction from its “hard sci-fi” trappings. Instead, her movie, identified up front as a “fable,” is a character-first piece that serves as both a meditation on death and a raging environmental diatribe. It’s also unfortunately light on drama, turning away from the hard questions the film’s premise raises to tell a simple, almost poetic tale about how drastic changes are needed to save this planet. Her points are certainly valid, but Can I Get a Witness? struggles to make a strong case for what actions to take, be it self-sacrifice, better conservation practices, or just trying to make good use of your time here.
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