Reminiscence (2021) - Lisa Joy

A slick, 90s era dystopian neo-noir that is certainly assured in the story it wishes to tell. Featuring a brazen deployment of every trope within the subgenre one could conceive, Reminiscence never feels rhythmic but rather mechanical or inorganic. Consistently imbued with a passion for the material by the filmmakers which is felt, the attention to detail in its world-building and spatial construction almost overcomes these rhythmic shortcomings full of pedantic dialogue but not quite. The world-building in general intrigues, yet it feels far too vibrant for the dystopian aims and sensibilities the film also seemingly wants to evoke, and Reminiscence really missteps when it tries to become a commentary on class, being ultimately devoid of any meaningful investigation outside of a tacked-on attempt at social commentary. Much of these criticisms can be overlooked due to the style and passion for the material on display here, but the film's proclivity towards rote exposition is a real bummer; It really makes the film feel tedious and artificial instead of emotive. I can't in recent memory remember a high concept film like this so riddled with pedantic exposition.