This 2016 Artsy Short Film Is a Subway Ad in Disguise | Eater
"Shared to American Twitter in 2019 after originally airing in Brazil in 2016 and produced by Stink, the commercial “Timeline” traces a male protagonist from a water birth through awkward childhood moments (including voyeuristic peeping at a woman who appears to be his mother), a teenage first kiss and breakup, a self-inflicted haircut meltdown, globe-trotting scenes that use rural Chinese farmers as background, and eventually domestic life that includes a scene inside one of the chain’s restaurants. Aiming for a Linklater-esque life-passage arc and capped by the voiceover “Every day, life asks you the same question... What are you going to try today?,” the spot landed for many viewers as strange, unintentionally creepy, and tone-deaf — prompting shock, bemusement, and online mockery (including jokes about the lead actor’s appearance and criticism of the ad’s use of cultural imagery) rather than the heartfelt resonance likely intended." - Madeleine Davies
