Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

It wasn't until college when I first saw Blade Runner. I was too young for it when it was released, with its brooding, moody mediations on humanness. It's mash up of detective fiction with apocalyptic sci fi set against a neon colour palette, with its ambiguous ending and equally ambiguous morality, remains not the most accessible of approaches. But I fell for it immediately. watching endless different "cuts" of the film for further exploration of its "meanings" I have come to appreciate it even more since that time.

It was never a film whose story needed to be continued. In fact I wasn't sure I wanted answers to the questions it posed. I was attracted to the mystery of it, its inversion of good guy/bad guy motifs, its way of playing with our expectations. What would a sequel add?

It turns out quite a bit. 35 years after the first, new questions have emerged and old narratives have deepened. If anything, Blade Runner 2045 is a masterclass in how you make a sequel.

Director Denis Villeneuve has exceeded all expectations. He has taken the spirit, feel, and experience of the original film and extrapolated all of that into something new. Clearly a next chapter, this film is tightly connected to the events of the first film, Blade Runner 2049 not only feels like the natural evolution of the story but defies our expectations at the same time.

As moody and beautiful and slow paced as the first film, but like that film, it never drags. It is a long film. Villeneuve takes his time to tell his story properly. But there is never a moment which feels extended, wasteful, or unnecessary. Each scene is a thing of beauty. Villeneuve is either fascinated with the beaten down faces of his subjects, or the decaying environments they are living in. Each moment is visceral. There is an outstanding texture to the scenes. Often sparse on music and dialogue, Villeneuve nevertheless imbues his film with richness of tension, of desperation, of despair, and yes of hope.

Blade Runner 2049 is a strong film in its own right but also a thrilling addition for anyone who loves the first film. It is grown up, morose, exciting, challenging, and gorgeous. It is something you should go see.

Blade Runner 2049
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Jared Leto, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writers: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green