22 Again is a short award-winning Spanish film narrating the story that happened on Christmas Eve in a town in the Canary Islands. Juan, who had a fight with his brother and did not want to return to his hometown for Christmas, sits at a coffee place when a worker suggests they can share a lottery ticket. He agrees, jokingly saying that it could be a winning number and not knowing how this ticket will affect him in the future. 22 Again is an exciting film with a cozy atmosphere that conveys that people’s lives can only improve if they try to change themselves and be kinder to others.
Juan works as a locksmith and seems unhappy with his life. One evening he closes his shop in front of a customer and unexpectedly meets her at a coffee place the next day. At that moment, Juan hears that the lottery ticket Pilar, the woman who works at the coffee shop, shared with him has the winning number. When he wakes up the next day, he finds that it is December 22, the same date as yesterday. Juan gets trapped, as the same events repeatedly occur, and December 23 never comes. He eventually changes his behavior and proposes to share a lottery ticket when he sees the woman who came to his shop before, as he feels guilty for being rude to her. He happily drinks with other customers at the coffee shop, and the next day, he finally wakes up on December 23.
22 Again is an intriguing story that shows that sometimes changing the attitude is necessary to become happy. Juan repeatedly wakes up on December 22 before he changes, which implies that people continue living the same day for their whole lives until they try to improve. The movie’s plot is similar to the famous film Groundhog Day, and attentive viewers can notice that Juan watches it on TV, which could be a reference from the director (22 Again, 2020, 0:45). Juan is portrayed as a vulnerable man who is angry because of his unhappiness. His character is relatable, so his change is impressive and can motivate the viewers. 22 Again narrates a fascinating and touching story, and the film is worth watching.
Reference
22 Again[Film]. (2020). Contrapunto BBDO. YouTube.