Blade Runner 2049

Denis Villeneuve opens the door for us to return to a worn-out Los Angeles, amidst capitalist domination and social decline.

It starts with a seemingly routine case.

Blade Runner K (Ryan Gosling) is tasked with eliminating replicants: outlawed humanoids. After one such case, K discovers the unidentified remains of a replicant with some startling anomalies that could call the world’s understanding of replicants into question.

Curator’s Note

Denis Villeneuve’s reboot and expansion of the Blade Runner world takes a measured pace that doesn’t overindulge in grandiose action sequences and explosive spectacle.

Much of the story takes place offscreen – a devastating global blackout precedes the film – with a detective narrative coming to the fore paying tribute to tech noir of the original. This leaves much of the film’s spectacle to visually arresting cinematography by Roger Deakin (Sicario, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) who received an Academy Award for his work.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV