2020 / 105m - UK
Sci-fi
3.5*/5.0*
Archive poster

Watches

July 19, 2020

3.5*/5.0*

Fine sci-fi that offers a pretty straight-forward and familiar story, but impresses with its execution. The plot offers nothing new and hardcore sci-fi fans will feel right at home among the themes and subjects that Archive raises, luckily Rothery keeps a tight focus and doesn't let his film stray from genre territory.

Black Mirror fans may be disappointed not more time is spent on social critique, drama and dystopian concepts, I'm glad there's finally light on the end of the tunnel, and we seem to be moving away from that type of sci-fi again. Archive is good old-fashioned genre fun, where you're allowed to oggle at all the robots and tech.

There are a few nods to Ghost in the Shell here (the making of a robot sequence more specifically), apart from that Archive tries hard to build its own universe. It does a good job at that too, with strong cinematography, a fine soundtrack and solid performances. While it lacks something truly unique and it's no certified masterpiece, it's a much better sci-fi that most make it out to be.