AI genius and creepy millionaire entrepreneur Marlon Veidt (Travis Fimmel) acquires the help of retired detective David Carmichael (Guy Pearce) in the hopes of discreetly finding his missing daughter, Melissa Veidt (Holly Demaine). Her last known location just so happens to be Zone 414, a ‘City of Robots’ that was given to Marlon as a gift for his world-changing metal creations. It’s a place where he can monitor and maintain his ground-breaking work, outside of the limits and laws of society.
To guide David through this cyberpunk, rich folks playground is robot Jane (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lut). Now, Jane isn’t what Marlon would consider a normal design, simply because something went wrong along the factory line. This fault that Marlon is obsessed with, means that Jane has way more awareness than others in its category. Jane is sad, emotional, depressed even, and it just wants to know what it’s like to have a human relationship. In an effort to put together the mystery behind the disappearance of Melissa, the frustrated pair make their way through a noir, spotlighted city that Blade Runner fans will appreciate.
A stronghold like Zone 414 obviously attracts some seriously damaged characters, and bringing that point home throughout David and Jane’s taxi trip is troubled encounters with George (Ned Dennehy), Royale (Olwen Fouéré), Joseph Veidt (Jonathan Aris) and Marlon Veidt (Travis Fimmel). All of these characters make you feel like they can switch from being on edge to deranged carnage with just one wrong word. With each meeting, you get a sense of what it’s like inside Zone 414.
Lying under a relatively straightforward missing person’s case and a twist that viewers may find a little too easy to solve lies a solid rapport between Guy Pearce and Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz. They really get stuck into who their characters are, and the rough history that both of them have. They ooze this isolated feeling that no one cares about either of their being. Although it took a while to get off the ground, Zone 414 becomes a disturbing robot idea that could be exciting to return to. Also, by the end of the film director Andrew Baird establishes an engrossing relationship between our two leads.
Zone 414 is available on digital now.
