Mars Express
Mars Express (2023) is an animated science fiction and cyberpunk film directed by Jeremie Perin. The story follows a human detective Aline and her android partner Carlos as they unravel a conspiratorial plot to disrupt the social order. 1
There are a lot of really interesting world-building elements in the story and I really appreciate how much of the story is shown in a way that the viewer can figure out what is happening instead of just explaining everything to the viewer. It’s a wonderful, detailed setting but I felt the story left a little to be desired. The characters were likable, but none of the characters really experience a perspective shift or change and the film lacks strong emotional moments. At most, the closest we get to a change is right at the end, when the android Carlos decides to leave Mars while grieving the loss of his partner. 1
Talking about the characters, even though I wished for more dynamism in the character’s developments I also liked how the film didn’t focus on any particular character too much, avoiding the story from having a particularly strong emphasis on a “main character”. This also makes the film feel a bit more cerebral, as it leaves me wondering more about the story, its characters, and its setting. 1
We also don’t get to see the fallout and changes that occur to society as a result of all of the robot workers leaving humankind. We do see a new kind of technology called “organics” being introduced to society, but similarly the film doesn’t examine the impacts of it and instead uses it as a plot point for why the hack happened in the first place. These reasons are why I think it falls just short of being a paradigm shift film. 1