As of Yet

Written and directed by Taylor Garron and Chanel James, the movie As of Yet from 2021 stars Garron herself alongside Eva Victor and Amir Khan. This film is a unique exploration of masternarrative about the different dimensions of human adaptation and interaction during unprecedented times. Marked with unerring wit and timely humor, the film presents a refreshing mix of belly-tickling comedy and palpable social commentaries.

The film centers around its principal character, Naomi (played by Taylor Garron) as she navigates through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. She's puling zoom dates and personality tests while trying to cope with the realities of a new normal, which included quarantining alone in her apartment and the abrupt shift to virtual communication and remote work.

Eva Victor and Amir Khan lend further, dynamic depth to Naomi's integral narrative. Victor plays a close friend of Naomi offering unwavering support through the trials of the pandemic. Khan plays a love interest of Naomi, their budding relationship is vividly painted using the modern dating scope making the narrative all the more relatable. As of Yet captures the tangle of emotions felt by people around the world during this time — uncertainty, fear, loneliness and also a ceaseless hope to thrive and connect in isolation.

The film embraces the aptly-named "pandemic genre", a rising trend in cinema that explores human experiences through the lens of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The magic of As of Yet lies in its ability to mirror exact anxieties and uncertainties people grappled with in real life. It underscores just how universal these experiences were and are, regardless of individual differences.

Its portrayal of the impact of pandemic on human interaction is particularly striking – the sudden shift from real-life interaction to virtual meet-ups, the difficulty of starting and maintaining relationships amid stringent lockdown measures, and the paradox of feeling isolated despite being more "connected" online.

One of As of Yet’s uniquely poignant aspects is its warm, endearing comedy. Garron, who co-wrote the film with James, uses humor as a tool rather than as an end in itself, steering dialogues and interactions so that they elicit laughter precisely because they are so reflective of palpable shared experiences. The duo makes use of the dramatic ironies that lockdown brought to the surface and mines them for side-splitting laughter, providing much-needed relief and amusement.

It provides a sobering yet comedic reflection of the unique social and personal challenges that the 2020 lockdown posed, from continuously adjusting and re-adjusting to evolving societal norms and personal annoyances, to grappling with the challenges of self-introspection during prolonged periods of solitude.

The innovative storytelling, character development, and production of As of Yet are also worth mentioning. The film is shot almost entirely in Naomi's apartment, and this limited setting is cleverly used to ramp up the feeling of solitary confinement that so many worldwide experienced during lockdown. The production quality of As of Yet is surprisingly high, considering that it was filmed during a time when many filming activities were at a standstill. With clever script and shooting angles, the filmmakers have managed to bring the story to life.

As of Yet truly delivers in providing a fresh, inventive, and thoroughly engaging cinematic experience. Its successful fusion of comedy, cultural criticism, and empathetic storytelling makes for an enjoyable movie experience. It’s a heart-tugging exploration of the human endeavor to survive and adapt, even thrive in an ever-changing world. This film offers realism, yet seasoned with humor, making it a must-watch comedy-drama of this unusual pandemic period.