Netflix viewing on a flight from Dallas to Chicago on May 6th. Andrew Niccol wrote and directed this sci-fi noirish thriller starring Clive Owen as a detective trying to solve a string of murders in a society where privacy and anonymity no longer exist.
Set in the not too distant future in an unnamed city where crime is almost non-existent because everyones' personal information can be pulled up immediately, in a very Black Mirror kind of way, and everything is recorded and stored in the "Ether." Detective Sal Frieland is called into investigate a series of murders that appear to be linked but have baffled the police. Since everyone's actions are recorded and stored, this killer has no identity and leaves no clues. Frieland comes across a woman (Amanda Seyfried) who has no record on the ether. Frieland goes undercover and uses her to "erase" a moment of weakness. Soon, Frieland discovers that the woman is either the killer or the next victim. He must race to save her and himself.
The film has an interesting premise. It seems to borrow heavily from several Black Mirror episodes and has a kind of almost Minority Report like vibe to it. The film has its moments but in the end it left me unsatisfied. It has a 100 minute run time and it moves a little slow. I felt that the murderer reveal was weak. There's a good amount of predictability within the plot. Overall it seemed to me that the authorities would be more vigilant against hackers. Regular crime is all but gone. Anonymity and privacy are enemies of the state but the authorities are caught off guard. There's also no sense of urgency. I understand that people are in a general malaise but I never thought the Frieland was desperate to crack the case. Sure he wanted to solve it, especially when he becomes the primary suspect, but he doesn't seem to be in a hurry. The film had potential but in the end it was disappointing.
No comments:
Post a Comment