What does the future hold for humanity? The biggest question on the minds of many is a question that cannot be answered with absolute certainty. The prompting of this idea has allowed Hampton Fancher, executive writer for both the original Blade Runner and the 2017 adaption, to compile a unique look into what the future can hold for society.
30 years following the original events of the 1982 movie of the same name, we follow a replicant known only as Officer KD6-3.7, played by Ryan Gosling, as he carries out a routine retirement of a rogue replicant. These replicants are biochemically engineered creations that mimic human thoughts and actions without the complex factor of emotions. This coldness has allowed many replicants to work for the police as Blade Runners, a collective of replicants that hunt down and kill rogue replicants. During this specific retirement, K finds a buried box near the premise of the Rogue with a replicant body encased inside. However, following the autopsy of the body it is clear that the replicant that died gave birth to a child before her death. After a lengthy investigation of the origin of the box, K follows a trail to find the truth about the child, looking all around the city for a lead.
This movie is nothing short of stunning in its visual, acoustic, and storytelling aspects. To begin, the visuals can only be described as breathtaking with amazing renderings of the locations shown. The detail placed in each frame of the movie truly makes the film come alive in a way I do not see in most films. The sound design, led by Benjamin Wallfisch, was masterfully crafted to display the futuristic nature of the film and the dark, gritty nature of the environment in 2049. A review of Blade Runner 2049 cannot be told without mentioning that it has one of the most raw expressions of loneliness by any actor. Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of K’s loneliness should have been considered for an award as we watch a replicant experience hope for the future only for that hope to be ripped away from him. Officer K has a virtual wife that tries to show him what happiness can feel like. However, even with this attempted peaceful attribute to his life, K can obviously be seen as lonely with the consistent emptiness visual in his eyes. There is no way to verbally communicate how well the movie was produced and the effort placed into this project can be seen transparently. I would highly recommend watching this movie to anyone that wants to have their mind blown.