Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

In 2021, Denis Villeneuve would release the first successful "Dune" adaptation. A feat that was thought impossible through the history of filmmaking and amidst the fear of movie theaters closing down during the pandemic. It was both a blockbuster and critical success. 5 years earlier, Villeneuve rebooted a little gem called Blade Runner... and it bombed at the box office. It's remained in my heart as a young film critic and now after experiencing Dune I've found time to revisit it. "2049" is a great sci-fi film no doubt, a future noir. It may be one of the greatest sci fi films of it's time. A majestic dip into a terrifying future, where mad men rule the universe deploying synthetic humans known as replicants, as slaves to colonize planets. Our hero is one of those replicants. Let's call him Joe. He's a blade runner, which is a replicant who hunts down older models that decided to flee from their posts. Joe is a dedicated agent. His model doesn't crack. In his free time he plays house with Joy, which is another type of AI. One that's linked to your home or if you pay a little extra, you can even take your Joy out of the house and into the world. The details of this strange but not-so-distant future spiral into a story about discovery. As Joe is given a mission to hunt down an eliminate a miracle - a replicant child. Hans Zimmer's score elevates this film to epic levels. What's otherwise a slow burning mystery is transformed into a deeply immersive experience thanks to the overwhelming detail in the set and costume designs. These details didn't always add up for me though. It wasn't till the 3rd viewing that I really understood what even happened in the movie. Not that it's a confusing film either. I just was too distracted from the films plot by the film itself. I think that says a lot about its craftmanship. You can enjoy this film thoroughly on so many different levels. It's a shame it didn't get the blockbuster status it deserves. 

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