Spielberg's 'COVID Protocol' Brings Holiday Thrills — and Eerie Totalitarian Chills

Playing off the success of the original movie 18-years ago, Spielberg and Cruise team up again for this Holiday rendition of pre-crime and misdirection.

Like the original movie, the plot of COVID Protocol takes place in the future, with nods to the year 2020 where it seems the only normal that can be expected is the abnormal. Fresh off his efforts in the original film, uncovering the cover-up that cost his former director his career and his life, John Anderson (Tom Cruise) is once again placed in the precarious position of preventing crimes before they occur.

With (3) Pre-Cogs now back to work, this time legitimately, the Department of Pre-Crime in the District of Columbia is back to eliminating crime in their city. This time, a global pandemic—which has a bleak 99.999% recovery rate—is wreaking havoc on the nation and Anderson's team is being used to ensure that Americans are following the protocols that will ensure their safety. The only problem is, this safety comes at the cost of the liberties that are protected under the Constitution of the United States of America.

With a heavy-handed and authoritarian government, abusing their power by putting unconstitutional restrictions in place, Americans begin to push back. John Anderson's team is tasked with preventing the violation of COVID protocols that have been put in place to keep people safe. As Anderson goes house to house to arrest people who were making plans to host Holiday gatherings, he is left to question if his efforts are truly for the good of the American people or are instead creating a police-state leading to tyranny and authoritarianism.

The plot I will avoid discussing in detail. It is as ingenious and relevant as any film noir screenplay, and plays far better than some. It's told with such clarity that we're always sure what Spielberg wants us to think, suspect and know. And although there is a surprise at the end, there is no cheating: The crime story holds water and will leave you with more questions than answers at the end of the movie.

The importance of this movie can't be overstated. How far can the American government go in order to keep people safe and how much liberty must be lost in order to preserve lives and provide safety.