If this movie was ten years ago, it would still be good. Today, artificial intelligence and cyberpunk have become "popular literature". Before 2000, "The Matrix" and "Another Dimensional Hacker" (both of which were released in 1999, the word "end of the century" really affects people's thinking) laid the building.
Similar themes have already been discussed in the above-mentioned "Ghost in the Shell" and "Gun Dream", the original work of "Alita", which was recently released. Speaking of the late 80s, the Japanese manga/animation in the early 90s was really the pinnacle. With so many handed down classics, the ideological theme is at least ten years ahead of its peers.
Looking further ahead, we can see the source of this trend of thought, "Real Name", "Neuromancer", "Circulation" by Fnovinitch, etc. Even we can faintly see the undercurrent of cyberpunk from PKD's novels. That "Flow, My Tears" is not full of strong cyberpunk style. PDK is to modern science fiction, just like Kafka is to modern literature. It has been involved in many fields. The apocalyptic setting, superpowers generated by genetic mutation, artificial intelligence, and multiple dreams are all treasures that follow-up science fiction writers have deeply cultivated.
Looking back, if before 2000, artificial intelligence and cyberpunk have moved from science fiction to movies, and the building has been completed, then after 2000, different film and television works have been deeply cultivated in this field, and there is no "basic theory". "Breakthrough, some are just "decorating" the building.
"Ex Machina" in previous years and "Upgrade" in 2018 all played well on this theme. We can see the common denominator of this type of film, small budget, no big scenes, and not many characters. The story is cleverly written, and the narrative adds horror elements. The ending is anti-traditional and avoids giving a stereotypical impression. See if these elements are in line with the style of "Black Mirror", artificial intelligence + cyberpunk simply contributed 2/3 of the story theme of "Black Mirror".
In comparison, the narrative of this "Serenity" has no skill, and the ending is warm and happy. If it weren't for the status of the male and female protagonists, it would be hard to imagine that anyone would watch it.
View more about Serenity reviews
