On September 30, Zone 414, a dark futuristic detective story about the search for a missing girl in a city inhabited only by androids, debuts on streaming platforms.

Clearly inspired by the classic Blade Runner, music video director Andrew Baird makes his feature debut with Zone 414. He cast some of Hollywood's finest — Guy Pearce and Travis Fimmel — in the lead roles. And by and large, these initial details alone should be enough for fans of intelligent sci-fi to flock to their smart TVs and other devices when the film hits streaming platforms. But what Baird and his team actually achieved, you'll find out in our review.

Sci-Fi? Noir Detective? Philosophical Parable?

The time is the near future. Humanoid robots have long ceased to be science fiction. But good old-fashioned crime hasn't gone anywhere. To investigate one such crime, multimillionaire and creator of the famous robot city known as Zone 414, Marlon Veidt (Fimmel), hires private detective David (Pearce). The latter must find the philanthropist's missing daughter in that very colony of robots. However, everything turns out to be not as simple as the detective assumed.

Despite the fact that the story of Zone 414 is based on a detective component, it works poorly as a detective story. The search for clues follows well-worn patterns, the authors leave no hints that could lead the viewer to the answer, and at some point the investigation itself becomes uninteresting even to the film's characters. Therefore, the revealed identity of the criminal evokes no emotions.

But at the same time, the film hooks you and makes you watch it to the end.

Perhaps it's the striking atmosphere of endless night and perpetual rain, characteristic of noir thrillers (interestingly, there's even a femme fatale here, but not a human — an android!).

Perhaps it's the viscous, measured pace of the narrative, which pulls the viewer in like quicksand.

Perhaps the themes, familiar from Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece, have not lost their relevance and still stir the mind.

Modest Technical Aspects

While the creators of Zone 414 spared no expense in inviting famous actors for the lead roles, they unfortunately lacked both budget and imagination for sets, costumes, special effects, sound design, and other technical attributes.

The futuristic setting is only hinted at by sparse neon in a couple of scenes and annoying announcements about the need for responsible use of robots. There's nothing for the eye or ear to latch onto. The music seems deliberately scarce, and what little there is evaporates from the mind as soon as it ends.

Is Zone 414 Worth Watching?

In the end, we have a film that was inspired by classics but didn't say anything new. Somehow, it managed to lure Guy Pearce, but neither the script nor the setting live up to his talent. Watching the film can hardly be called a waste of time, but it's not a pleasure either.

Zone 414 is available on streaming platforms from September 30.

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