Film: Blade Runner 2049

Only time will tell if Blade Runner 2049 by Denis Villeneuve and Ryan Gosling will achieve the greatness and influence of the original Blade Runner by Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford. But it might just happen, and who could have guessed or hoped that that would be possible?

Do androids dream of electric sheep? visionary cult author Philip K. Dick asked in the story of the same name that inspired Ridley Scott to make Blade Runner. I don’t know the answer to that question. But can we dream of androids that dream about electric sheep, love, life, eternity, or a soul? Yes we can. We can even develop those dreams in unforgettable films. And that is precisely what Ridley Scott did in his dystopian neo-noir film. It is also what Denis Villeneuve has done in Blade Runner 2049.

The sequel still has to prove its timelessness. Perhaps there is too much plot or too much perfection this time (you occasionally gasp for a crack or two). Perhaps the hocus pocus and existential questions will not stand the test of the next twenty years. We’ll see. But while we wait, everyone should let this film overwhelm them for a first time.

Canadian director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival) has asked the media not to spoil the story so that the film remains a total surprise for every single viewer. But here are some basics: Ryan Gosling is the new Blade Runner. It’s his job to hunt Replicants, androids that are barely distinguishable from people, struggle with the same existential quandaries and desires, and thus do not want to be treated like slaves, let alone get switched off altogether.

The motifs, themes, sombre grandeur, romance, and melancholy of the original have been lovingly preserved. They have even replicated the self-assured slow pacing. The production design, sets, and breath-taking cinematography by the great Roger Deakins make you wonder: are you watching a blockbuster or a superlative audio-visual museum piece?

In short, you will be totally bowled over, just like Blade Runner himself. A dystopia that deserves the very best and biggest screen.

> Blade Runner 2049. US, dir.: Denis Villeneuve, act.: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Jared Leto, Robin Wright