“LX 2048” Movie Review by Brooke Daugherty : Pop Culture Leftovers

“LX 2048” Movie Review by Brooke Daugherty

October 19, 2020 11:25 am |

In the near future, the sun has become so toxic people can no longer leave their houses in daytime, and normal life is conducted mostly inside the virtual realm. Against this dystopian backdrop, a dying man seeks to ensure the future well-being of his family, while coping with what it means to be human in this new reality.

Director Guy Moshe’s foray into futuristic sci-fi with LX 2048 brings together several sci-fi themes to create a dystopian world not much different than our own. When most futuristic films highlight technology or the degradation of our environment, Moshe uses both to create the real and virtual world Adam Bird inhabits. Fair warning: SPOILERS from here on out.

James D’Arcy (Agent Carter, Broadchurch) plays Adam Bird, a man working a 9-5 and dealing with daily life in a world where no one goes outside during the day to avoid the toxic effects of the sun. When others conduct business virtually from home, Adam dons a hazmat suit and heads out to an empty office every day to still virtually conduct his business.

Almost everyone Adam encounters in the outside world during the day are clones. These clones are engineered to be better versions of themselves and do not burn in the toxic sun. He is offended by the existence of the clones and doesn’t want to be replaced someday by someone else–even if it is his clone with his memories.

Adam finds out he is terminally ill and realizes his employer might fold before he passes, leaving his estranged wife Reena (Anna Brewster) and children in the lurch. Most everyone spends their time conducting business and social time in a virtual world. Adam spends his time with a virtual woman named Maria (Gabrielle Cassi) and with freakish sex doll who serves as the physical version of Maria. We discover from flashbacks that the Bird’s marriage became strained when Reena discovers Adam’s “relationship” with Maria. Adam sees a clone doctor and is prescribed Lithium X which he does not take.

One night, Adam is asleep and woken up by an angry Donald Stein played by Delroy Lindo, who has played several bit parts and should look familiar, he has most recently been seen in Da Five Bloods as well as a recurring role on The Good Fight. Donald is the creator of the original clones and tells Adam he was forced into retirement after creating a human version of his own virtual partner. He has come to threaten Adam with a gun for snooping in his business, but winds up getting drunk and offering Adam a live version of Maria. He leaves, forgetting to get his gun and is never seen again. A few days later, Maria arrives, but she decides she isn’t in love with Adam in the real world and goes out to live life for the first time. The scenes with Donald Stein and Maria aren’t necessarily bad, but could have been cut or at least streamlined to cut down on the runtime.

The Birds have insurance that will provide a clone of a parent if they have three or more underage children at the time of death of one or more parents. Reena is not bothered by the possibility of Adam dying and has his death virtually faked so she can cheat the insurance company out of a clone. Unfortunately for Reena, she dies in an accident before she can meet her clone husband and is cloned herself. Adam’s clone shows up at his house by mistake and the two Adams have an interesting interaction where one is accidentally killed when Donald Stein’s gun discharges. D’Arcy does a great job playing both Adam and his upgraded clone. After the living Adam buries the deceased one, Reena’s clone shows up and the two are enamored with each other.

All in all, the film was a cool way to mix various futuristic possibilities into one mostly cohesive context. The runtime was a bit too long for me at an hour and forty-three minutes. The story could have been trimmed by about 10 minutes and it would have made the story tighter. There are some boring scenes of Adam going about his daily routine, but those are more important to the plot than meeting Donald Stein. The directing is good and the cinematography sets the tone for the film. I enjoyed the film for the most part, and might be persuaded to watch it again in the future.

PCL Rating: Taste it

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅