Review of Zone 414 (2021) by Truerock — 29 Jan 2022

Zone 414 is a science fiction film of the noir-film-noir genre with a twist of steam punk.

I wanted to watch this film to see whatever Travis Fimmel came up with for his Marlon Veidt character - and, I was not disappointed.

The plot is yet another take on android existential angst. For me that is something that never gets old - but, perhaps for some it is difficult to continue probing that metaphysical riddle once again. From my viewpoint it is the question - for others it is a "whatever"... please get to the next car chase scene, relationship conflict, etc.

The concept of androids has been used as a plot device since the 1700s. I remember finding a 1950s science fiction anthology at my local library when I was 10 years old. The philosophical issues it generates has always fascinated me. Obviously, no one is going to deliver any breakthrough insights on something that has been analyzed thousands of times. But Zone 414 generated a fresh angle from my perspective - and I've seen this plot device hundreds of times.

The acting is off-beat. The directing is off-beat. The casting is superb. The story and script are intriguing. The production values are in line with its smaller budget.

Obviously, this is a thinking person's kind of film and does not fit into the purely recreational category.