Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
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A blade runner uncovers a secret about replicant reproduction that threatens to destabilize society.
The story
In 2049 Los Angeles, bioengineered humans known as replicants are used for slave labor. K, a Nexus-9 replicant working for the Los Angeles Police Department, serves as a 'blade runner' tasked with hunting and retiring rogue replicant models. After retiring a replicant and discovering a hidden box containing the remains of a female replicant who died during a caesarean section, K finds evidence that replicants can reproduce biologically—a fact previously thought impossible. This discovery threatens to spark a war between humans and replicants. K's superior orders him to destroy all evidence of this discovery, but K's investigation into the truth leads him into a dangerous conspiracy involving the powerful Wallace Corporation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2049 Los Angeles, K, a Nexus-9 replicant working as a 'blade runner', discovers that a female replicant died during a caesarean section, proving that replicants can reproduce biologically. This revelation, which could spark a war between humans and replicants, is a secret K is ordered to suppress. His investigation leads him to the Wallace Corporation and the discovery of his own past. K finds evidence that he might be the son of the deceased replicant woman, and his search for the truth leads him to the ruins of a radioactive Las Vegas. There, he encounters Rick Deckard, a former blade runner who had been in hiding. Deckard reveals that the woman was named Rachael and that he is the father of her child. As K's investigation deepens, he is hunted by Luv, a replic_enforcer for Niander Wallace. After a series of confrontations, K learns that the memory of the toy horse he cherished belongs to Dr. Ana Stelline, who is Rachael's daughter. In the final confrontation, K confronts Luv and defeats her, though he is mortally wounded. He then takes a dying Deckard to Dr. Stelline's facility, ensuring Deckard can reunite with his daughter before K dies on the front steps.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 163
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Denis Villeneuve
- Writers
- Hampton Fancher · screenplay; Michael Green · screenplay; Hampton Fancher · story
- Cast and characters
- Ryan Gosling · K; Harrison Ford · Rick Deckard; Ana de Armas · Joi; Sylvia Hoeks · Luv; Robin Wright · unknown; Mackenzie Davis · Mariette; Carla Juri · unknown; Lennie James · unknown; Dave Bautista · unknown; Jared Leto · Niander Wallace; Edward James Olmos · Gaff
- Genres
- science fiction; action; mystery; thriller; psychological; dystopian
- Themes
- humanity; identity; memory; technology
- Tone and mood
- bleak; dystopian; somber
- Setting
- A dystopian, futuristic Los Angeles and a radioactive Las Vegas in the year 2049.
- Premise and plot tags
- cyberpunk; sci-fi; neo-noir
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the story by Hampton Fancher, inspired by the novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' by Philip K. Dick.
- Franchise connections
- Blade Runner
- Content notes
- violence; sexuality; nudity; language
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its cinematography, acting, and faithfulness to the original, though it was a box office disappointment.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 81 · scale: 100 · review count: 54
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Cinematography · Win; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · Win; British Academy Film Award · Best Cinematography · Win; British Academy Film Award · Best Special Visual Effects · Win
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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