Meaning of Netflix Film What Happened to Monday

What Happened to Monday Reflection
What is What happened to Monday??
What Happened to Monday is a 2017 science-fiction film that depicts a dystopian future in which families are only permitted to have one child (Wirkola, 2017). When a mother gives birth to seven identical daughters the father decides to keep them all but oblige them to live under a single identity—that of “Karen.” The sisters grow up living the same life as Karen, each sister permitted to play that role one day of the week. One of the sisters—Monday—falls in love with a government agent and becomes pregnant. This sets off a chain of events that lead to the sisters’ situation being compromised, as Monday believes the only way she can guarantee her daughters’ lives is to remove her sisters. The film received favorable reviews upon its release (Kohn, 2017).
Why is it important?
The film is important because it shows how the sisters work together not just to rescue Monday when she goes missing but also how they fight for a greater good. During their mission to save their sister they also uncover the horrifying truth about the government’s cryogenic freezing program: it is actually an incineration program. The sisters agree to make this information public so that the people can see for themselves what their government is up to behind their backs. The sisters thus put social justice above even their own mission to save their sister. It is an inspiring film in this sense, as it shows what people can do when they are committed to a higher and nobler cause such as truth and freedom.
How is What happened to Monday? connected to joining a fraternity?
The film is connected to joining a fraternity in many ways. For instance, the sisters all have to share an assumed identity and live the same life. To some degree, that is what joining a fraternity is like. There is total commitment to the part and total dedication to the role and the rule. The sisters are bound to accept that what happens to one of them will happen to them all, so there is no sense of individuality but rather of the collective good. They all strive to do what is best for the whole.
It is also connected to joining a fraternity because the sisters have a vision and a mission and they are dedicated to working together to achieve a specific goal even if it requires a great deal of self-sacrifice. The sisters show courage in the face of conflict and they do not allow themselves to be discouraged even when the odds are stacked against them. This is the way fraternity brothers should behave as they seek to change the world to be a better place.
How is What happened to Monday? tied to effectiveness, etc.
The film is tied to effectiveness and other virtues in the sense that it shows how teamwork, communication, collaboration and commitment all help different people come together as one to achieve a common goal. The seven sisters are all individuals, each with her own ambitions and desires; yet, they are willing to set that individuality aside out in the real world so that they can be part of a daily life that they can all share. Since the law forbids them all from even existing they have to learn to work together to live effectively. They cannot go off and act as themselves. When Monday does just that she causes trouble for the whole. That is the premise of the film. In order for a fraternity to be effective, the members have to live like the sisters—without making the same mistake that Monday made.
References
Kohn, E. (2017). Isabelle Huppert, Noomi Rapace, and Bodybuilders: 7 Must-See Summer Movies From the 2017 Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved from https://www.indiewire.com/2017/08/locarno-film-festival-2017-pardo-best-movies-1201862868/
Wirkola, T. (2017). What happened to Monday? Netflix.