Forget Black Mirror, New Sci-Fi Gem Just Dropped: It Already Has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
This movie can easily be called one of the best sci-fi projects in recent years.
Over the past decade, Black Mirror has revolutionized science fiction on the big and small screen. Modern sci-fi is down-to-earth and realistic – stories about the future warn the audience that humanity will pay a high price for the immense development of technology.
The best episodes of the series and a dozen of its clones scare us with the introduction of social ratings, strengthening the capabilities of VR, and even raising children in capsules. Science fiction, as it was interpreted by the writers in the mid-twentieth century, has simply disappeared.
The animated film Mars Express, which was shown for the first time in Cannes to great acclaim, is the classic science fiction that is not limited to a fantastic convention, but imagines an entire new and unusual world on the screen.
What is Mars Express About?
In the year 2200, human detective Aline and her robot partner Carlos investigate a series of strange incidents. On Earth, which has become a dumping ground for the unemployed, the duo catches a hacker who is reprogramming the robots and setting them free.
On Mars, a planet for wealthy citizens, Aline and Carlos search for a missing student whose neighbor was brutally murdered. The two cases aren't just connected – they're actually just small parts of a corporate conspiracy that threatens to undermine the fragile harmony between humans and robots.
Mars Express is a Gripping Detective Story with Many Nods to Sci-Fi Classics
Mars Express is the feature-length debut of Jérémie Périn, known for another animated project, the animated series LastMan, in which some of the topics explored in the film were already outlined. Thanks to his years of experience, Périn has effectively put together an intricate detective plot, stylish action and a detailed world in Mars Express.
Mars Express is a movie that consists almost entirely of references. Sci-fi fans will notice familiar ideas or classic plots. Here you can see the works of Ray Bradbury, Blade Runner and I, Robot. The director admits that he was inspired by the anime of the eighties and nineties – especially Akira and Ghost in the Shell. But at the same time, Mars Express can’t be called a rip-off.
Mars Express’ World is Unique and Unusual, But Familiar
The worldbuilding is the main attraction of the movie, and a reminder of how ambitious science fiction projects can be. Mars Express is full of interesting ideas about the evolution of technology that Charlie Brooker would love to turn into the plot of a new episode of Black Mirror.
For example, in the 23rd century, smart students rent out their "brains" to less educated students, and rich people create a robot double for themselves so as not to waste their lives on useless things.
Although we have not yet flown to Mars or acquired cyborg assistants, Mars Express’ life does not cause a big surprise or shock. Perhaps our generation will see the whole parade of different robot models presented in the animated movie and will also face the key problem of cybernetic immortality.