Blade Runner 2049 - Denis Villeneuve

In this 2017 sequel to Blade Runner from 1982, Ryan Gosling plays a Blade Runner who is also a replicant. Due to a series of violent rebellions, it was illegal to manufacture replicants and the Tyrell corp went bankrupt. The collapse of ecosystems in the mid 2020's (hmmm, a bit close to home) led to Niander Wallace taking over the Tyrell Corp, and creating a new line of replicants who obey. Wallace also had a mastery of synthetic farming which averted famine. There are many older model replicants with open-ended lifespans, and it is the job of the Blade Runner to hunt them down and retire them.

Gosling has a live-in, interactive hologram named Joi. This seems to be his only real connection to another human that is not work related. The film starts with him doing his job - flying out to a farm to retire an older model replicant. while there he discovers a box that ends up being an ossuary. However the bones reflect that the person may have died during childbirth, possibly an emergency c-section. yes upon instinct, Gosling takes a closer look at the bones and find a serial number meaning the woman was a replicant...and pregnant. Something that is not possible. This starts the investigation into what happened to the child, and who the parents were.

It is a stunning film directed by Denis Villeneuve, and produced by Ridley Scott. The casting is perfect, with a great story by Hampton Fancher. Just as dark and mysterious as the original, and with a really great story that might start slow but keeps you hooked. The ending is poetic and exactly what it needed. Action sequences are exciting, some keep you on the edge of your seat for sure! The DVD also includes three short films that tell the story between the two films.