Slow movie, but worth the patience—has to be seen in cinemas

Rating: 9/10 (9 October 2017)

As a fan of the original, I was skeptical with the new Blade Runner. Although Denis Villeneuve is a very skilled director, Blade Runner does have such cult status, almost sacredness... so people naturally had lots of expectations about this one. I think in the end, the new installment certainly delivers!
The atmosphere is super thick and the movie makers went a lot in the world building direction, using the story to put in a lot of important sci-fi / cyberpunk ideas that should definitely inspire you and that definitely ask some deep questions, just as good sci-fi is supposed to do. The cinematography is indeed stunning, it's a one-in-its kind thing that you won't see in anytime soon. Hyper-stylized, yes, but distracting from the apparent realism of the world, no. As a fan of electronica, the soundtrack stood out to me in particular. It managed to be modern and unique while at the same time staying true to some of the tunes of the original.
Now, a lot of people are complaining about the movie being slow and the story perhaps not living up to the visuals. I see where these folks are coming from as the movie is indeed slow—but that's in part at least because modern audiences are used to rapid plot developments and quick cutting sequences. In fact, let's remind ourselves that the old Blade Runner was really slow as well, and perhaps some things are better not be updated!
If you have the patience, I think you are in for a really emotional ride. Perhaps even more so than the old Blade Runner, this one is filled with sadness. Ryan Gosling does a perfect job at balancing his calmness with this intense feeling of pent-up anger and despair. There's existential dread without an army or a massive fight. The big themes discussed in the movie hit on the theme of identity and one's purpose in life. Each character is struggling with their identity or purpose in some form or another. I admit that I cried at the end of the movie as multiple of the themes and metaphors that were explored throughout the movie converge on what I see as a beautiful conclusion to a truly epic story.
So, expect a slow ride, expect to be sucked into a truly compelling word, and don't miss this one while it's running in the cinema—it's definitely not going to be the same on your average home screen. Go and watch it!