Blade Runner (1982)
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In a dystopian 2019 Los Angeles, a former cop is tasked with hunting down a group of escaped, bio-engineered humans.
The story
In the dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, the Tyrell Corporation manufactures bio-engineered humans known as replicants to work on space colonies. When a group of advanced replicants, led by Roy Batty, escapes back to Earth, the authorities call upon Rick Deckard, a former cop turned 'blade runner.' Deckard's mission is to track down and 'retire' these illegal fugitives. The narrative explores the moral complexities of the hunt as Deckard navigates a decaying, high-tech urban landscape, eventually encountering the replicants and questioning the boundaries between human and synthetic life while attempting to fulfill his duty in a world where the line between the two is increasingly blurred.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2019 Los Angeles, Rick Deckard is tasked by his supervisor, Bryant, to hunt down four escaped Nexus-6 replicants: Roy Batty, Zhora, Pris, and Leon. Deckard meets with the Tyrell Corporation's CEO, Eldon Tyrell, to test the Voight-Kampff machine on his assistant, Rachael, who is an experimental replicant with implanted memories. During his investigation, Deckard encounters and kills Zhora, while Rachael is caught in a crossfire and saved by Deckard. Meanwhile, Roy Batty and his companions seek out the genetic designer J. F. Sebastian. Roy eventually reaches Tyrell's penthouse, demands more life from his creator, and kills him. Deckard eventually faces off against Pris and then Roy Batty on a rooftop. As Roy's life reaches its end, he delivers a final monologue about his memories being lost like tears in rain. Deckard ultimately finds Rachael, and the film ends with them together as they move toward a new, uncertain future.
- First release year
- 1982
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United States; Hong Kong
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ridley Scott
- Writers
- Hampton Fancher · screenplay; David Peoples · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Harrison Ford · Rick Deckard; Rutger Hauer · Roy Batty; Sean Young · Rachael; Edward James Olmos · Gaff
- Genres
- science fiction; neo-noir; cyberpunk
- Themes
- humanity; identity; technology's impact on environment; memory; ethics of genetic engineering
- Tone and mood
- noir; dystopian; melancholic
- Premise and plot tags
- cyberpunk; sci-fi; noir; androids
- Source material / true-story basis
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
- Franchise connections
- Blade Runner
- Reception
- Initially polarized critics and underperformed in theaters, it later became a cult classic and is now regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 132; Metacritic · score: 84 · scale: out of 100 · review count: 15
- Awards and nominations
- BAFTA · best original score · 1982 · nomination; Golden Globe · best original score · 1982 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The 'spinner' vehicles were designed by Syd Mead.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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