One of the most visually arresting and emotionally resonant science fiction films of the 21st century has landed on Netflix – and viewers are calling it nothing short of a masterpiece.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017), the critically acclaimed sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic, was directed by Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Arrival) and is being hailed for its ambitious storytelling, breathtaking cinematography, and hauntingly immersive sound design.
“This film blew me away,” wrote one reviewer on film reviewing platform Rotten Tomatoes, where it dsplays a fresh 88% score. “The look, the sound, the cast, the soundtrack… I just tried to find and write some negatives but I was scraping the barrel. Perfect.”
Set 30 years after the events of the original Blade Runner, the film follows LAPD Officer K (played by Ryan Gosling), a new generation replicant tasked with hunting down older rogue models.
When he uncovers a long-buried secret that could upend the fabric of society, K’s journey becomes a deeply personal search for identity, memory, and meaning.
Harrison Ford returns as Rick Deckard, bringing depth and emotional weight to a film that is already philosophically loaded.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins, who finally won his long-overdue first Oscar for the film, crafted every frame with precision – and audiences have been quick to highlight just how visually rich the film is: “From the beginning I found myself falling into a dimension like no other,” said another reviewer.
“It’s a rarity these days to see any story, let alone a sequel, that stands on its own for uniqueness and originality.”
The film’s score, composed by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, also drew widespread acclaim. Echoing the original Vangelis soundscape while introducing a deeper, more powerful tone, the soundtrack has been described by fans as an “integral part of the experience.”
Viewers are, of course, also praising the film’s intellectual ambition: “The ambiguity of the story and characters is great at boosting the audience into a fully immersive dystopian film”.
While Blade Runner 2049 underperformed at the box office upon release, its reputation has steadily grown, with many now considering it not only a worthy sequel, but a landmark achievement in sci-fi cinema.
If you missed it in cinemas or haven’t revisited it since 2017, Blade Runner 2049 is now available to stream on Netflix.