The Day Shall Come
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder | Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong (writers) |
| Products | Dark comedy film |
The Day Shall Come is a 2019 dark comedy film directed by Chris Morris and co-written alongside Jesse Armstrong. Starring Marchánt Davis, Anna Kendrick, among others, the movie offers a satirical portrayal of FBI sting operations, drawing inspiration from cases such as the Liberty City Seven.
The production involved companies like See-Saw Films and the British Film Institute. It debuted at South by Southwest on 11 March 2019. Distribution rights were managed by IFC Films in the United States, with a release date of 27 September 2019, and by Entertainment One in the United Kingdom, where it premiered on 11 October 2019.
Plot
Moses Al Shabazz leads a modest religious group called the Star of Six based in Miami. The commune includes his wife Venus and followers named X and Afrika. Their worship encompasses figures such as Allah, "Black Santa," and General Toussaint Louverture. Moses advocates for a black revolution against white oppressors but strictly opposes the use of firearms. Although prescribed anti-psychotic drugs, he declines to take them due to adverse side effects.
FBI Agent Kendra Glack identifies Moses after viewing his live-streamed sermons and plans to exploit him as a scapegoat for supposed revolutionary plots. When Moses faces eviction, Kendra deploys Reza, an undercover informant masquerading as a pedophilic store owner, to introduce Moses to an alleged sheikh affiliated with Al-Qaeda who is willing to provide weapons and funding. At first, Moses requests only agricultural tools but later consents to accept 50 Kalashnikov rifles once he recognizes their significance.
Disturbed by the arms transaction, Venus departs with their daughter despite Moses’s assurance that the weapons will not be used. After witnessing what he interprets as a divine lightning strike, Moses attempts to turn in the arms dealers at FBI headquarters in exchange for a reward but receives sympathy without assistance from Kendra. Upon returning home, he discovers his commune has been evicted; the landlord agrees to allow their return only if Moses acquires uranium from the sheikh—an FBI ploy intended to implicate him in nuclear terrorism.
Moses organizes a sale of counterfeit uranium—consisting of urine and beans—to a group of neo-Nazis who are actually undercover agents. This operation breaches jurisdictional boundaries, leading Miami police to intervene and attempt arrests during the transaction. Kendra convinces law enforcement to release Moses and his followers while detaining the landlord. Confident of his safety, Moses goes to reunite with his family but is pursued by police.
The Miami police declare a nuclear emergency, compelling Kendra to follow suit in order to maintain authority. During a meeting at a donut shop, an accidental gunshot sparks confusion. Reza attempts to incriminate Moses using a fake rocket launcher; however, Moses feigns being an undercover officer and "arrests" Reza—who is then unintentionally shot by Afrika using a toy crossbow. When Kendra orders Moses to surrender, he fires the launcher toward her and other officers, resulting in their apprehension. Kendra assures Moses that his daughter will be cared for.
The end credits disclose that all FBI agents involved received promotions, whereas Moses and his followers were sentenced through plea bargains to prison terms ranging from 20 to 35 years without trial. Venus was given a 15-year sentence for supporting a terrorist organization.
Cast
- Marchánt Davis portrays Moses Al Shabaz, a destitute preacher
- Anna Kendrick appears as Kendra Glack, an FBI agent
- Danielle Brooks plays Venus Al Shabaz, Moses's spouse
- Denis O'Hare takes on the role of Andy Mudd, Glack's superior
- Jim Gaffigan features as Lemmy, a neo-Nazi character
- Miles Robbins acts as Josh
- Pej Vahdat is cast as Nura
- Adam David Thompson plays Stevie
- Kayvan Novak embodies Reza the Shopkeeper, a pedophile affiliated with Glack
- Mousa Kraish appears as Malik
- James Adomian portrays Settmonk, a law enforcement officer
- Malcolm Mays plays X
- Calah Lane features as Rosa
Production
Filming took place covertly in the Dominican Republic throughout 2017 and 2018, with supplementary scenes captured in March 2018. The location was selected to benefit from advantageous tax incentives aimed at maximizing budgetary efficiency.
Release
The movie debuted at South by Southwest on 11 March 2019. It later saw a U.S. release on 27 September 2019, followed by its United Kingdom premiere on 11 October 2019.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film maintains an approval rating based on reviews, with an average score of . The critical summary reads: "Absurd yet grounded in complex real-world issues, The Day Shall Come contributes another darkly humorous satire to director and co-writer Christopher Morris' body of work." According to Metacritic, it holds a weighted average of 70% derived from 21 critic reviews, signifying "generally favorable reviews."
John DeFore from The Hollywood Reporter described the movie as a notable advancement for Morris, although his incisive approach may restrict widespread appeal in the U.S. Terry Staunton of Radio Times commended Marchánt's portrayal, emphasizing his combination of humor and emotional depth in a film that both amuses and challenges its audience.