Prior to 2016, Duncan Jones was best known as the promising director who gave us excellent sci-fi dramas, Moon and Source Code, while looking destined for even bigger things, perhaps fated to take the helm of another major sci-fi franchise at some point. Then Warcraft happened.
Critics hated it, fans of the original game loved it, but any faint hopes that it would fill the void left by Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit franchises were immediately dashed.
Luckily for Jones, he had a backup plan to return to our good books, and the first images from intriguing sci-fi thriller, Mute, are here. Starring Alexander Skarsgaard as a mute bartender in 2052 Berlin, whose girlfriend vanishes mysteriously, with Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux as American surgeons, the film sees Jones settle back into the sci-fi saddle.
Where Moon conjured up comparisons to 2001: A Space Odyssey and Source Code evoked 12 Monkeys vibes, Mute immediately looks indebted to Blade Runner with it’s neo-noir qualities and overwhelming neon palate. In fact it’s safe to wonder if Jones’ film and last year’s Nerve were filmed on the same set (though hopefully Mute is actually coherent and entertaining. Sorry Nerve fans).
In what’s shaping up to be a big year for Netflix, the film will be released to all Netflix territories some time in 2017. Until then, take a look at these stills and begin to ponder whether there will now be two competing films in the coming year vying for the best Blade Runner comparisons.
#Peace.Love.Mute
