Robert Hloz’s debut is a competent copy of Hollywood sci-fi, but it’s too heavily indebted to its influences to develop its own philosophy
Apparently the first sci-fi film from the Czech Republic in 40 years, this so-called Czech Blade Runner is actually equally indebted to Minority Report (whose domestic futurism continues to be quietly influential). Like Tom Cruise’s character in Steven Spielberg’s film, detective Em Trochinowska (Andrea Mohylová) is a cop prone to brooding over clips of an absent loved one. Her concert pianist husband was murdered by members of the Rivers of Life terrorist group, who are outraged by the nature-flouting “restoration” technology that allows any recently snuffed person to be resurrected.
Bad news for those who don’t clear out their inboxes regularly: the technology only works if you have bothered to upload your memories within the last 48 hours. Where Minority Report riffed on the notion of pre-crime, this is a post-crime insurance in a Mitteleuropean dystopia awash in violence. Trochinowska is called to investigate a double “absolute murder” of a couple who have been oddly remiss about backing up: restoration scientist David Kurlstat (Matěj Hádek) and his wife. Resident tech demigod Rohan (Karel Dobrý), who is head of the institute that invented it all and mindful of an upcoming privatisation, is unhelpful. So a strong whiff of corruption is emanating from those glittering brutalist towers.
