Watch Totally Under Control

Totally Under Control is a documentary film released in 2020 that takes an in-depth look at the United States' response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Directed by Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyan, and Suzanne Hillinger, the film provides a timely and critical analysis of the country's handling of the crisis. The documentary is structured in a timeline that starts in early January when the initial reports of a highly contagious virus were coming out of Wuhan, China. The film goes on to detail how the Trump administration responded to the pandemic and how their actions impacted the spread of the virus within the United States. The film features interviews with experts, journalists, and insiders who all provide their unique perspectives on the government's response to the crisis.

The documentary examines how the government responded to the outbreak, from its initial dismissal of the virus as a hoax and a "Democrat plot" to the numerous miss steps taken at the federal, state, and local levels. The film explores how the administration's delay in implementing federal guidelines on quarantine and social distancing led to the virus spreading rapidly across the country. The documentary further highlights the disastrous consequences of this inaction in the form of the huge numbers of deaths, including those of health workers who lacked protective gear as well as the huge economic impact that has resulted in widespread job loss and economic recession.

One of the primary messages of the documentary is that the pandemic did not have to be this bad in the United States. The film delves into how other countries faced with similar outbreaks were able to manage the virus' spread while still keeping their economies intact. The documentary emphasizes that a rapid and comprehensive response was critical in containing the pandemic and that the United States government did not provide that. The film investigates the role of the WHO, the CDC, and the FDA, and examines the political decisions that impacted their work.

The documentary makes several polemical statements, such as the claim that politics overruled science in the management of the crisis. The film highlights how the government dismissed the threat of the virus, and as a result, masks and other protective gear were in short supply for healthcare workers. At one point, the documentary features a whistleblower who explains how the government awarded contracts to companies that were ill-equipped to manufacture protective gear. The whistleblower also talks about his subsequent decision to leave government service after he was demoted for whistleblowing. The story demonstrated the chaos and corruption that allegedly characterized the government's handling of the pandemic.

Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, features prominently in the documentary. The film explores his lack of transparency and his inability to provide clear, consistent messaging to the public about how to stay safe during the pandemic. Similarly, Governors Charlie Baker and Andrew Cuomo of Massachusetts and New York, respectively are featured highlighting their handling of the pandemic.

The film also discusses the flawed testing system and the limited availability of tests in the early days of the outbreak. It discusses how the government's refusal to use the WHO's test and to develop its test led to severe delays in the mass availability of testing. Furthermore, the documentary questions the role of big-pharma and other commercial interest groups in slowing down the development of vaccines and treatments for the virus.

In conclusion, the movie Totally Under Control is a sobering documentary that illuminates how a comprehensive and scientific approach was necessary to curb the spread of COVID19 - and how the USA government's response inaction to the pandemic was driven by politics rather than sound public health considerations. The film provides a thought-provoking account of the pandemic, and it is a must-watch for anyone interested in understanding the USA's response to this devastating crisis that is still impacting the world today.

Totally Under Control is a 2020 documentary with a runtime of 2 hours and 4 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.7 and a MetaScore of 80.