In the near-future, Marc (Hughes) is
diagnosed with cancer and has been given one year left to live. He decides to
cryogenically preserve his body, leaving behind the love of his life Naomi
(Chaplin) and taking some control over his own fate. In 2084, he becomes the
first person to be resuscitated from cryopreservation by the Prodigy company’s
‘Lazarus Project’.

The future is not what he expected. People
look younger and beautiful, and are no longer ‘slaves to love’ as his caring
nurse (Le Bon) tells him. There’s even sex groups. However, Marc soon realises
he’s traded everything for ‘an inadequate dream’. Despite the marvels of modern
medicine, his body is still in pretty bad shape and he’s stuck inside the
hospital, dependant on a machine to keep him alive and barely allowed outside
apart from the occasional PR fundraiser, due to the fact his lungs might not
handle the future’s atmosphere.

The theme of memory is prevalent – Marc has
his uploaded from a chip, and he mulls over his life and his past love and
wonders if it was worth it. He finds out Naomi also preserved herself much
later in life, in the hope they’d meet again. But would it be ethically right
to wake her up and risk her wellbeing? Marc struggles to adapt to the future
and his trapped existence, especially when he finds out more about the project
he has the ability to save or ruin.

REALIVE is a bold movie, likely to become a
modern sci-fi favourite. It’s very reminiscent of Abre Los Ojos (Gil wrote the
screenplay for the remake Vanilla Sky). There’s hints of Frankenstein and even
last year’s Equals, as humanity, the afterlife and ethics are explored in
emotional detail. Definitely one to make you think.

REALIVE / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR AND SCREENPLAY:  MATEO GIL / STARRING: TOM HUGHES, CHARLOTTE LE BON, OONA CHAPLIN, BARRY WARD, JULIO PERILLAN / RELEASE DATE: TBC