Chris Morris is back on the attack.

My word, do we need Chris Morris right now. The way we’re going, as it feels increasingly like we’re living inside an actual episode of Brass Eye, things may appear way past the point of parody, yet the need for satire is as strong now as it’s ever been. 

It’s an utterly bizarre and frequently cruel time we live in right now, but one absolutely ripe for the kind of cerebral lampooning that Chris Morris has made his trademark. Going back as far as his Spitting Image days and all the way through to The Day Today and then Four Lions, Morris’ unique brand of satire has been there to ridicule society’s absurdities just when needed. So, while he’s been relatively quiet of late, if ever there were a time for a comeback, it’s now.

We have a Home Alone 2 extra in the White House, a talking mop at Number 10, authority figures across the board acting like absolute tits, and social schisms that feel as wide now as they’ve ever been. Everything appears set up for Morris to give it all a well-deserved slap round the chops. But has his time away from the spotlight softened his satirical approach at all?

Poor, desperate, and off his meds, Moses Al Shabaz (Marchánt Davis) runs a farm and small religious commune in the heart of the Miami projects. With times tough and an eviction order hanging over his head, Moses looks set to lose everything until a shady associate offers him a large sum of cash in order to take up arms and fight his oppressors. Little does he know that that this sponsor works for the US homeland security, who plan to mould Moses into a criminal by fuelling his zany revolutionary dreams. Finding it easier to manufacture their own terrorist than catch a real one, the FBI work on their mark from the shadows. But as events unravel in bizarre and unconventional ways, will Moses expose their devious game before it’s too late? 

Both literally and figuratively, Four Lions exploded onto the scene as if from nowhere. Timely and uncompromising, Chris Morris’ debut feature took satire to new and uncomfortable heights as it followed a group of inept, wannabe suicide bombers at a time when the entire world felt on edge.

Daring you to laugh both at and with a band of aspiring terrorists, Four Lions was Chris Morris down to a tee as it went to town on both extremists and the world that creates them through biting social commentary and a dark, thoroughly offbeat wit. It was a cinematic slap kick in the arse and just at the right time, yet it offered a surprisingly touching portrait of social exclusion, desperation, and the inherent absurdities of fanaticism.

Although operating in the same satirical arena, The Day Shall Come takes a somewhat different tact, one that works well to a point, but ultimately falls short of its predecessor. Like Four Lions, the film presents the intimate scenario of one man’s unconventional descent into extremism, yet it lands in a different place altogether.

The raw nerve The Day Shall Come hits will certainly be familiar to anyone who’s witnessed the uncompromising approach of Four Lions, however, its comparative lack in bite leaves the film falling short of those lofty standards. Like everything Chris Morris does, there’s a lot to take in and a lot of hot-button issues pushed, yet the film’s uneven approach makes it a relatively gentler watch.

While it’s rather hit and miss with the issues it tackles, The Day Shall Come really connects when homing in on the fraught, frequently absurd nature of race and poverty. With its focus squarely on Moses, the film takes an offbeat, heart-breaking look at the ramifications of racism and deprivation within a society that’s happy to take advantage of the situation.

In a desperate attempt to pull himself and his loved ones out of a hole, Moses makes a whole heap of comically misguided decisions, but his heart is always in the right place, making his underdog struggle a key component in the film’s successes. From conversations with horses to dinosaur-summoning trumpets, Moses’ beliefs may be bizarre, but they’re relatively benign by extremist standards, which makes it all the more painful to see his admirable intentions manipulated so ruthlessly.

Morris may take a lighter approach this time around, yet this is far from a sugar-coated vision. As Moses is dragged deeper and deeper into the FBI’s bumbling entrapment, we’re offered a thoroughly depressing look at the seemingly futile, Catch-22-like fight minorities face in America up against a system that will happily step on them to suit their own needs.

Thankfully, for all its harsh realities, the film doesn’t forget its heart. Moses and his rag-tag crew are The Day Shall Come’s emotional core and these scenes are by far its most successful element. The sweet, endearingly bumbling comedy of the group bantering with one another evokes the would-be jihadis from Four Lions and it’s right here that Morris’ unique brand of humour hits its mark.

Bizarre and frequently surreal but with a genuine heart, The Day Shall Come’s success hinges on the wide-eyed appeal and raw charisma of its star, Marchánt Davis. Belying his lack of experience, Davis is a revelation in his debut feature as he injects the film with a lovable, naive charm, a killer comic timing, and an emotional anchoring even in its most outlandish moments.

In an attempt to tell the story from two perspectives, things start to fall apart when the film shifts focus from Moses to the FBI. With clunky lines, convoluted narrative contrivances, and painfully forced humour, these moments of federal farce really don’t do the film or its flow any favours at all.

Morris’ very particular humour just doesn’t translate well to these scenes, as line after line of banter between agents fails to land. Led by an enthusiastic but out of place Anna Kendrick, all of the FBI agents are largely unengaging and, despite the obviously heightened setup, feel utterly detached from reality. 

While you could happily watch the bumbling, farcical antics of the Star of Six crew all day, the FBI side of the spectrum often falls flat, which causes a major problem when you hinge the entire plot on their Build-A-Terrorist operation. Although shocking in its relevance to real world events, the plot itself works well when leaning into the absurdities of the situation, while never feeling entirely engaging or incisive, despite a well worked, intense finale.

The result is a surprisingly muted satire that aims high but never quite hits its target. Chris Morris is a seasoned agent provocateur whose sharp, irreverent style suites The Day Shall Come’s themes perfectly. However, despite starting things out like the spiritual successor to Four Lions, the director can’t quite live up to his own high standards as he struggles to follow through on the film’s promise.

Splitting the narrative in two certainly dulls the film’s attack, yet this shouldn’t detract from what remains an effective satirical swipe at a variety of pertinent issues. Despite its uneven tone, when the focus stays on Moses, The Day Shall Come is among Chris Morris’ best work as he hits to the heart of one man’s struggle with both himself and a system built to destroy him. 

Despite an uneven tone and a rather blunted edge, The Day Shall Come is an effective satire with an absurdist take on some deeply entrenched issues within American society. Built on the back of a charismatic and engaging performance from newcomer Marchánt Davis, the film works best when it stays focused on the endearing Moses and his band of bumbling followers. With such a stellar reputation for razor-sharp, incisive satire, it’s a shame Chris Morris isn’t able to reach previous heights, yet The Day Shall Come still manages to launch its attack with insight, off-beat humour, and heart. However, more than anything, it’s just good to have Chris Morris back. Because we bloody well need him right now.