The movie "Coup!" directed by Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman begins with an antiquated typewriter and bold words being typed meticulously. The setting is disclosed gradually, revealing the backdrop of the United States in the year 1918 under the shadow of the Spanish Flu pandemic.
The film, though subtly hinting at the parallels between the then extant influenza pandemic and our present COVID-19 plight, primarily cultivates a narrative centered on societal disparities and class conflict rather than drawling extensively on public health concerns.
The flamboyant newspaper columnist J.C. Horton, played by Billy Magnusson, is depicted as a privileged individual owing his extravagant lifestyle to his father's meat business. Simultaneously, his writings on events he never witnessed, such as urban riots, portray a hypocritical side of his character.
Before we delve deep into J.C.'s character, Peter Sarsgaard is introduced as Floyd Monk, the new chef employed in the Horton estate who eventually takes control of the estate, masquerading as someone else after tinkering with a passport portrait. Maintaining a veneer of deceptive amiability, Monk cunningly undermines the authority Horton holds over his family, staff, and estate.
The movie throughout maintains a casual ambiguity about whether it must be considered a commentary on public health or an exposé on classism, with the character of Monk reflecting the struggles of the underprivileged. However, his revolting spirit does not lead to significant changes; instead, it illuminates the arduous road towards retaliation and revolution, as illustrated by Monk's toxic mushroom trick to sideline the skeptical house help head Mrs. McMurray.
The movie stumbles when it inserts frivolous allusions like Mrs. McMurray's "Exorcist" reference, which contribute little to the storyline and seem to be force-fitting humor. Such attempts dull the film's serious undertones, a weakness offset by Sarsgaard's compelling performance as Monk, providing the character with an essential depth.
