BLADE RUNNER (1982)

Week 1 | 117 mins | Age recommendation: 12+

By Ridley Scott, with Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young

This show is part of THE ONES WE LOVE.

Los Angeles, November 2019: The sprawling metropolis is drenched in constant rain. The city is dirty and overcrowded, and its residents are bombarded by ubiquitous advertising. Some speak “Cityspeak,” a mixture of several languages, including Japanese, German, Hungarian, and Spanish. Animals are nearly extinct and available only as expensive artificial beings. A better life is promised on distant planets—worlds that have been colonized by so-called “replicants.” These artificial humans, manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation, are outwardly indistinguishable from naturally born humans, yet possess far greater powers than they do and, over time, develop their own emotions and ambitions. For this reason, they are programmed with a lifespan limited to four years (obsolescence) and are implanted with artificial memories to make them easier to control. Replicants are prohibited from setting foot on Earth under penalty of death. Special police officers, known as Blade Runners, are responsible for enforcing this ban—that is, tracking down and executing replicants who manage to reach Earth nonetheless. They identify replicants using the so-called Voight-Kampff test, which provokes emotional reactions that distinguish replicants from humans.

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