Dir: Naoyuki Yoshinaga
2002
Colour
85 min
35mm

Blade Runner meets Strange Days in this three-part cyberpunk tale by the director of Patlabor: The Mobile Police . In the year 2034, the AD Police of Tokyo are tracking down replicants, I mean boomers, that have turned inexplicably violent against humans. Paralleling this are stories about the plight of prostitutes who are being gruesomely “weeded out” and a megalomaniacal politician with a burning hatred for these human-like robots. But what makes this film so interesting is how it is essentially an allegory that can be placed within our own present context, from racism to the war on terrorism. Those looking for a dark, futuristic drama that probes the human psyche a la Akira will no doubt feel right at home.