A fan of Sci-Fi since the '80s, I was intrigued by this Dystopian feature set in Liverpool, UK.
From the opening sequence, Mathias Rozpendowski's sublime cinematography captures the city's vast architectural landscape. Aerial shots encompassing the River Mersey, Liver buildings, John Moores University and Radio City Tower, are infused with an ecleptic colour palette enhancing the vibrancy of this iconic skyline. Luke Hodgkinson's intricate sound score further compliments the prevailing mood in every scene.
The sterile interior of IA laboratory headquarters where military humanoid Jones/J1S initially resides under the supervision of Dr. Novak, provides a stark contrast to the exterior criminal underworld rife with prostitution in the form of Fbots owned by Ivan Popovic. Effortlessley portrayed by Keith Hyland, his putrid Russian pimp combines comedic undertones with a flawless accent, undetectable of his native northern English.
Other notable performances include Michael John Treanor as Joe, Daniel Hippolyte as Vincent and Carl Wharton as Dr. Novak subjected to intense duress from the establishment to undertake an unwise procedure, resulting in Jones' impromtu escape from the Robotics Centre. Due to a technical glitch, Jones is embodied with a sinister version of himself, intent on over-powering his physical entity. The complexities are further exasperated during an anxiety-fuelled mission to uphold his liberty in the unfamiliar terrain of the outside world.
Jack Bodhi maintains a convincing portrayal as the dual-personality-infused humanoid. It isn't long before he's joined by Suza (Jade Bulmer), the property of Popovic, hell bent on finding his girl. A mutual hatred of their lives but wanting to survive, cements an emotional bond between the pair.
Whilst navigating their new-found freedom, the ticking time-bomb soon intensifies with gun-wielding 3Squad in hot persuit following direct orders from IA HQ. Creator Jay Cunningham's skillful direction of cinematic aerial and tracking shots combined with slick fight choreography and car chase sequences, accelerates the action driving the narrative forward. The cinematography, sound, costume, makeup, lighting, graphics and VFX departments all excell in bringing his vision to fruition.
Shot within a fortnight, this action-packed dystopian universe with nods to Total Recall, Terminator and Mission Impossible, delivers, and deserves to be seen on a wider platform. If you're a fan of cinema, support our indie filmmakers whose relentless drive and passion under the constraints of often modest budgets, is worthy of more support and recognition.
