Moody, mysterious, and brilliantly directed

Rating: Null/10 (10 October 2017)

I didn't know what to expect out of Blade Runner 2049. I'm a big fan of the original but to create a sequel that would be faithful to the world created in that film as well as add something new and crucial is a difficult feat for anyone. Luckily, I think this is easily one of the best big-budget genre thriller films this decade. It's rare for me to watch a mainstream film like this and not have so many criticisms as it's playing. I think the film is very well paced, amazingly shot, very well written, and brilliantly directed. It maintains the same atmosphere that the original did while delivering big set pieces. At its core it remains a mystery and it's all the better for it. I think the most impressive thing about it was its commitment to building on the mythology set forth by the original. It managed to expand on the original and give us answers to what happened to characters after it in ways that felt clever, fresh, and still faithful to it. It manages to be about the continuation of certain events in the first film while creating a new fascinating character at its core and manages to tell the new character's arc brilliantly. To reiterate, it's very well written, managing to avoid the clichés that usually transpire in films like this. Villeneuve has quickly become one of the best filmmakers currently working and this is only another example of his talent.
In terms of acting, Gosling does wonders with the role. He doesn't do anything we haven't seen him do before, but he's great at what he does and he nails it here. In terms of MVP, it's Ana de Armas and Sylvia Hoeks who stand out the most from the supporting cast, especially the latter. She's icy and delicious in her role.