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LX 2048 is a high concept yet low budget sci-fi movie. The Earth has become toxic; the atmosphere is so damaged that to go outside without a full-body environmental suit on is to invite death. The movie follows the life of Adam Bird (played by Dunkirk’s Adam D’Arcy). As a seller and producer of Virtual Reality equipment, Adam was once someone special. Unfortunately chip technology is superseding clunky VR kit. He’s also separated from his wife, partially because he’s in love with an Artificial Intelligence. Oh, and he’s got a terminal illness.
If that seems like a lot, don’t worry, this movie will explain all the fine details to at seemingly endless length. It turns out that in the not too distant future, on an Earth ravaged by pollution and ecological disaster, people can still be boring. This isn’t the fault of the actors; they give it everything they can. It’s the dialogue, it’s flat and emotionless.
LX 2048’s main problem, though, is its pacing. The low budget means that the premise is played out endlessly. What begins as an interesting idea gets swamped with plot twist after plot twist. As thrillers go it’s incredibly slow, which is a pity because they are tons of solid and clever sci-fi ideas here, from cloning to environmental collapse to a whole examination of what it means to be human. What could have been a fantastic Philip K. Dick style existential drama is hampered by indulgent editing and poor pacing.
It is partially saved by some amazing key moments and twist. Ultimately, though, it’s just too long and way too interested in its own cleverness.
