Blade Runner

Ridley Scott's seminal film, now celebrated as a classic of science fiction and the birth of Cyberpunk cinema.

In a futuristic Los Angeles where mega corporation Tyrell reigns supreme, replicants – robots virtually indistinguishable from humans – have been outlawed on Earth. When four replicants are discovered on Earth, a retired bounty hunter known as a blade runner is coerced into tracking them down to “retire” them.

Curator’s Note

Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep? crafts its own dream of a dystopian future where unchecked capitalism has transformed LA into a consumerist wasteland.

With the sun blocked out by digital billboards, the cityscape becomes the perfect backdrop for a tech-savvy gumshoe on the hunt for a lead and a femme fatale whose plea for help comes in the form of an enormous existential quandary.

Upon its release, Blade Runner was a commercial disappointment, but its impact on cinema has been rich and lasting. Considered by many to be the quintessential Cyberpunk film, Blade Runner is now celebrated (in no small part due to some excellent alternate versions to the original theatrical release) as a hallmark for an entire subgenre.

Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)