Looking for new ways to kill your boredom? 2 Lizards is the web series you need to watch. Created by Moroccan artist Meriem Bennani, and filmmaker Orian Barki, the series documents the process of quarantine through the prism of two humanoid reptiles in Brooklyn.
You might be asking yourself why you should be watching two reptiles isolating during a time when you’re in search of authenticity. And you might be right. But 2 Lizards has become a crutch for us during this coronavirus lockdown. The four mini episodes that have been released on Instagram have already garnered 200,000 views alone.
“I mean to be honest, I’m kind of into this confinement thing. Because I feel like I’ve been fantasizing about not having any plans and just having to stay home and do things I never have time to do. So in a fucked up way, I’m loving this”, says a lizard personified by Bennani opening the first video. “That’s such a quarantine week one thing to say”, replies Barki’s reptile.
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Whether they’re dancing in their living room, hanging out on their rooftop or taking a car ride, the reptiles’ ordinary quarantine routine and conversations oddly seem quite familiar—at least much more than those of celebrities desperately (and awkwardly) trying to prove “we’re all in this together” from their mansions and lofts.
Bennani is famed for her signature CGI creatures, which she uses to satirically question tough societal topics and explore the impalpable significance of being alive in the 21st century. In our current dystopian moment, her latest iteration feels even more on point.
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2 Lizards delightfully encapsulates the daily lives of two ordinary individuals navigating the anxiety of self-isolation. They’re not particularly talented or extraordinary—but just like us, they’re trying to make sense of what’s going on. And it doesn’t matter if they’re computer-generated; the creatures are brutally genuine.
