Shot in the Arm (2022) Film Review

Whether or not you’re a firm believer in freedom of speech and all that comes with it in the digital age, when the sharing of information seems inevitable, there’s one thing we must agree on: science is irrefutable. You can’t compare medical journals to a random video you found on YouTube or someone posted on Facebook. If you don’t see the importance of one over the other, you are simply blind and/or partial.
And yes, you have a right to think that. That’s the beauty of living in a democracy. But as a very intelligent person goes on to say Shot in the armdemocracy dies when facts are no longer facts.
Why does a health issue have to become so political? This is the first question that arises Scott Hamilton Kennedyhis documentary about anti-vaccination movements taking over the script at a tumultuous time. It’s the most COVID-19-related movie ever that isn’t specifically about the COVID-19 pandemic. It all begins with measles and an epidemic in the United States, the roots of which are tied to a social movement that is incredibly difficult to understand.
I say this because it is not easy at all. Anti-vaccinationists or vaccine hesitants follow what they believe to be facts. Autism has been linked to vaccines, but also to themselves, influencers who claim to have the truth, and even scammers who have used professional channels to spread their message. Science says otherwise about autism, and the film’s sequence on the subject is fascinating and compelling.
The documentary is a deep dive into a different world of politics, medicine and activism. COVID-19 took things to a whole new level as the nation’s president went back and forth on the disease and heeded medical leaders who were always looking for a solution. Ironically enough, the January 2021 Capitol Raids are directly related to the anti-vaccination march. Yes, it’s far-right tricks, but again, it’s a health issue. Much more important than a political one.
Amidst the chaos, Kennedy’s documentary shines a glimmer of hope. Of course some of us have our own way of thinking and the documentary leans in one direction. But the director never goes to forcefully address the people sitting on the opposite side. Even if they only mumble, they get the chance to face the camera with the truth.
Shot in the arm one of those movies that everyone should see. If you believe in vaccines or not, this may speak to you. And this can lead to the more analytical stage. Sometimes that’s what you need. A little thought., while the world is falling apart. Nations were able to blame everything on you just because you insisted on being human during the most catastrophic health event of the 21st century. So far.