Intelligent sci-fi is all-too-rare, which is why this smart eco-driven vision of a world shorn of new life is such a thrilling, visually innovative treat.
Humanity’s plundering and poisoning of Earth’s resources has left the planet incapable of producing new plant or animal life. The rich and powerful occupy citadels and are served by androids. Some humans have succumbed to a virus that leaves them faceless, somnambulant figures roaming the landscape. It’s the fate that befell Vesper’s (Raffiella Chapman) mother. She now lives alone with her infirm father (Richard Brake). They live near Vesper’s ruthless uncle (Eddie Marsan), who keeps children as slaves and has designs on Vesper. But he underestimates his niece’s brilliance. Quietly, studiously, she is finding a solution to her dying world.
It’s been a decade since Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper delivered their majestic speculative fiction Vanishing Waves, but the thought and attention that has gone into creating the world of Vesper has made the wait worth it. Balancing subtle character details and a well-constructed plot with visuals that impress, Buozyte and Samper deliver a compelling and all-encompassing vision of a future world with wit and intelligence that most effects-driven blockbusters can only dream of achieving.
