In a futuristic world where robots coexist with humans, an ex-cop named Deckard (Harrison Ford) is sent on a mission to locate four escaped Replicants who have returned to Earth in order to track down their creator. It is his job to ‘retire’ the robots before they cause irreparable damage to their dilapidated home planet.

Set in a dreamlike haze of sadness and gloom, Blade Runner is not your average Sci-Fi movie. Ridley Scott directs a film that isn’t about conjuring up images of intense spectacle and it’s noticeably removed from the easy-watching surface action of mainstream movies like Star Wars.

In its most stripped-down form, Blade Runner is the crucial element that came before The Matrix. It’s science fiction that goes through an existential crisis as it meditates over the genre’s very existence. The film is a picture of the world left behind after those with money and ambition have moved on and every character is so utterly exhausted by being alive that they can barely muster the energy to do anything of substance.

While this may sound unappealing from a detached perspective, Blade Runner’s evocative narration is the reason why it is such a masterpiece. Ridley Scott’s vision seeps from his lens as soon as the movie begins and there is an outstanding amount of depth and scale to the set design that feels light years ahead of its time.

Most importantly, the movie has as much to offer in the little as it does in the large. Every word spoken hangs in the air, sandwiched between a haunting film score and a rain-soaked cityscape. The story feels fresh every time because the replicants often take on a new meaning. Sometimes you can sense an adamant cynicism, other times complete despair, but always a drive for something they cannot ever find. Blade Runner is a beautiful film because it achieves everything it wants to in a calm and collected manner and it’s also a film that provides greatly when you dig deep into the flesh of its subject matter.

The sequel to Ridley Scott’s classic Sci-Fi is set to be released in late 2017 and it could quite possibly be another spectacular piece of cinema given that Sicario director Denis Villeneuve and the legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins are in charge of crafting the next masterpiece. Although the story itself remains under lock and key, the press release states that the movie will take place a number of years after the original and will see Harrison Ford reprising his role as the iconic Deckard. While none of the other original cast members have confirmed their involvement, the new list includes Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright.

With that being said, there is no way we can give this masterpiece anything lower than a complete 10 out of 10.

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