Blade Runner 2049 - Film Review

  TheBloodyCritique’s ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Film Review  

Blade Runner 2049 is the sequel to Ridley Scott’s highly revered neo-noir science fiction film Blade Runner released in 1982, it’s directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Ryan Gosling. The story takes place 30 years after the original, replicants (bioengineered humans) are being used as slaves and the film follows K, played by Ryan Gosling, a replicant working as a Blade Runner (someone hired to kill or ‘retire’ older replicant models) for the LAPD. When K discovers something that could potentially change the current landscape of society, or what’s left of it, he’s led on a dangerous journey to find Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, and discover the truth about himself.   

Denis Villeneuve’s other work includes Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario and Arrival! He has a very distinct style, he’s a director with a vision and I enjoy his work but his films are very slowly paced, you need to be in the right mood, they’re not films you could just throw on for an easy viewing experience but you have to appreciate the art! That’s the case with Blade Runner 2049, it was also the case with the original but I’ll get into that in a sec, it’s an undeniably beautiful film, it’s masterfully directed with stunning cinematography and an amazing score from Hans Zimmer, it’s very pretty, very fucking pretty and the world of Blade Runner is captured perfectly, that post-apocalyptic feeling and the depression if it, it’s truly a cinematic masterpiece!

I watched the original Blade Runner recently and although I thought it was a beautiful looking film, a masterpiece of cinematography! I felt nothing for the characters, I didn’t like Harrison Ford’s performance and I wasn’t invested in the love story between Deckard and Rachael at all! They had no chemistry and overall the narrative just fell flat with me, I didn’t care, Blade Runner to me was just a series of beautiful paintings, I wasn’t a fan. In the sequel I actually felt more invested in the story because I believed the characters, Ryan Gosling’s performance is on par with Drive and Only God Forgives, it’s a less is more type of performance and with him playing a replicant it works perfectly! 

Unlike Deckard and Rachael in the original I was actually invested in the love story in Blade Runner 2049 between K and his hologram Joi, played by Ana de Armas, it was touching, I thought it worked really well! I also though Harrison Ford delivered a good performance as Deckard, he was better here than in the original, I actually believed him here, he had some depth! Jared Leto was alright, he’s only in a couple of scenes but he plays a decent villain, he pops up and acts evil from time to time and it worked well enough! Everyone in the cast was great, I believed these characters and the narrative actually felt like it was leading somewhere, no spoilers but I loved the ending as well, it was satisfying. 

It’s a fairly long film with a running time of almost three hours so make sure you’re prepared for it, but when you are it’s a beautifully shot film with amazing cinematography, it’s extremely atmospheric with an ominous score, interesting story and great performances from everyone! The slow pacing and depressing tone might not be for everyone but as a work of art it’s undeniable, this is a masterpiece! I enjoyed it more than the original, I think it’s better than the original and I’d definitely recommend it! Especially to film fans, it’s not a casual viewing experience but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed, just make sure you’re in the right mood! I’m gonna give Blade Runner 2049 an undeniable 8.3/10, it’s a masterpiece! 

What did you think of Blade Runner 2049?