No industry may be as important to the upper middle class as the gig economy. Uber, Doordash, TaskRabbit, and countless others serve an integral part to the daily rituals of many. However, The Gig Is Up shines a light on the gig workers who make these companies function and the struggles these individuals face everyday.
Director Shannon Walsh demonstrates the humanity of modern technology through intimate interviews with gig workers across the globe and in every kind of gig industry. While there are plenty of emotional moments present from these interactions, the sheer volume of interviews in an 88 minute documentary reduces their overall impact.
Even though the film’s lofty ambitions can make its critiques of the industry seem only partially formed, The Gig Is Up is still a great entry point into the problems gig workers face on a daily basis.
The Silver Lining
Though many may already know about the issues surrounding ride-sharing companies, The Gig Is Up‘s venture into the world of ghost workers (i.e. gig workers that one doesn’t interact with) is illuminating. This section of the documentary shows that even with all the advances in algorithms and A.I. over the last decade, human computation is still needed to keep our favorite platforms running. If you were worried about the robots taking over like in The Terminator, The Gig Is Up is proof that we don’t have to worry, at least for now…
The Gig is Up is a part of DOC NYC’s (Nov 10-28th) 2021 lineup. Click here to learn more about how you can purchase a ticket for this title (for a digital screening).
Silver Linings Reviews 