Blade Runner 2049 was released in 2017 and directed by Denis Villeneuve. It is the sequel to the 1982 classic made by Ridley Scott. The film is a sci-fi thriller that takes place in the not so distant future of Earth, where clones of humans, named replicants, are forced to work so that the rest of humanity can thrive. Our protagonist is K (Ryan Gosling), a replicant blade runner, who’s job it is to hunt down escaped replicants. But on his latest job, he has made a discovery that brings into question the morality of his job, and may decide the future of humanity.
The movie cannot be talked about without spending a good portion of the analysis on the movies visuals. Blade runner 2049 is one of the most stunning and visually striking movie’s that you will lay eyes on. The scope of the dystopian landscapes is massive, and the extreme wide shots are done perfectly to emphasise how absolutely huge the buildings are. The massive, cramped buildings, and old decaying statues all create the atmosphere of a future and alien world. This is easily one of the most aesthetically stunning films I’ve ever seen, and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful too. Every shot keeps the viewers eyes glued to the screen. I’d say this is thanks to the excellent cinematography, fascinating imagination of Denis, and amazing mise-en-scene.
The sets are completely fleshed out to invent an entirely different feel and air to each place. The massive, overpopulated cities feel dirty, cramped and dangerous. This is due to the strange and dirty clothing, and the soundtrack in these scenes is often loud and filled with surprising sounds. On the other hand, when we are in the large, replicant-producing company buildings, the lighting is much darker, and this makes it feel more clean, but also more sinister and even subtly evil.
The architecture is also mind blowing. The buildings are huge, and they all even seem like massive monsters that reach the cloud line. They perfectly accompany the dark and gloomy climate that is often present in the film, and they even come across as intimidating at times. When inside these buildings it is much the same, with giant halls that make people seem tiny and insignificant, or the enormous abandoned spaces, or dark and silent library we see in one scene. It all contributes to the movie having a grand and stunning scope, one that leaves an extremely profound impact on the audience.
The film does not just excel in the visual department though. The story of Blade Runner 2049 is also extremely engaging and emotional. The environment and world which the story is set in is quite miserable, but the story has a much more somber and powerful meaning. It is about a hero who does not matter in the end, and the small glimpses that we see of his inner thoughts lead us, the audience, to ponder on what he is. Human or replicant? The concept of replicants is also explored brilliantly here. We really see how cruelly they are treated by humans, and how dystopian a world is when these living, thinking beings, synthetic or not, are made to massacre each other. We also see the production of replicants in one scene, which exposes how brutal and disgusting it is. The process is similar to a birth, but the product is an adult human, which makes the sight extremely repulsive yet fascinating.
The main character, K, is also a very interesting person. We see, throughout the film, a synthetic being come to the realisation that he may be more human than he thought. This brings some philosophical questions into play, like “does this mean he’s been living his life a slave despite being a person”, or “is he the next step in human evolution?” It also puts him into an extremely dangerous situation, and flips everything that the viewer knew before on its head. It is an interesting plot twist, but is no where near as powerful and brutal as the one at the end. All of this is without mentioning how incredible Ryan Gosling’s performance is as k. He is extremely calm and reserved, since he is a replicant, but when his emotions show it is completely compelling and powerful, since they feel real and genuine, making him an extremely sympathetic character to watch.
Another thing that I like so much about this film is how well it executes the neo-noir genre. Neo-noir is a modern revival of film noir. Blade Runner 2049 does it so well by following the classic noir format of a detective with a pessimistic view on life living in a grim world as he puts together the pieces of a puzzle. This film also flips the genre on its head though, by putting it in a completely sci-fi setting. One that is unlike any other put to screen as well.
The soundtrack to the film is also remarkable. Composed by Hans Zimmer, the score perfectly matches and accompanys the settings of the film, but also adds to them. The score is powerful in emotional moments, and stunning when the scene is of a large and grand environment. It not only accompanies the film, but makes up an essential part of it, like any good score should.
I also stated in the title of this blog post that Blade Runner 2049 was and is the greatest sequel of all time. I say this because the film does not just piggyback off its predecessor, but adapts and adds to the lore and world that the story is set in. It has essential characters from the first film, and the plot in this one is a direct consequence of the one in the first, making it an actual sequel. But, at the same time, the movie has a new plot, and does not waste time on making shallow references to the first film, letting it use its time effectively. The film also has just as much, though probably more depth and power as the first Blade runner movie, with the same philosophical themes and dark outlook on the future, but new characters and lore to use to make a great film.
Because of its grim and dark atmosphere, absolutely incredible cinematography, memorable soundtrack, outstanding performances, beautiful scenery, powerful aesthetic and unforgettable moments/story that will leave an emotional impact on the audience, I think that Blade Runner 2049 is a perfect film, and on of the few sequels that is actually better than its predecessor . It is also my personal favourite film!
Finley Cairns A-Level Film Studies Blog 
But The Godfather, though?
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Haven’t seen it though…
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