Runtime: in unrated form, 119 minutes
Directed by: Miguel Sapochnik
Starring: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber, Carice van Houten
From: Universal/Relativity Media
A movie I saw because it’s set in the far-flung future of… 2025. I’ve known this detail for awhile yet of course I’m me so the next to last day of ’25 is when a review is posted. I checked out the unrated cut of the movie… nevermind how I acquired this copy for my personal collection but I did.
The gimmick of the film is at least creative… if you ignore that Repo! The Genetic Opera did it first, albeit quite differently: in 2025, artificial organs are now popular. However, if you fall behind on paying for this expensive contraption, Jude Law will repossess the organs, meaning that those poor saps will occasionally die in the process. Of course, it’s a corrupt business; what misfortune for Ol’ Jude then when he needs an artificial heart.
In terms of predictions for how 2025 would turn out, of course not much of it was accurate. Then again, the filmmakers seemed more focus on aping Blade Runner than attempting to engage in accurate futurism. One detail unfortunately right: the opening of the film has a news report in the background concerning… trouble and the United States engaging in combat in Nigeria. I was like, “Dammit.”
The film has quite the eclectic cast: Law, Forest Whittaker (who he has wacky repartee with as his work partner), Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber, Carice van Houten, RZA, John Leguizamo, Yvette Nicole Brown. Plus, props for including the likes of Toots and the Maytals & Nina Simone on the soundtrack. Now, there are flaws throughout, various nitpicks that could be made. I did not love every narrative decision, and I’ll leave that comment hanging there without further elaboration.
Even with the negatives, overall I can still proclaim Repo Men as fine, at least in unrated form. The cast, the music, decent action (containing many gruesome moments), overall competence, the satirical moments, that was enough for me just giving it a passing grade. For certain, it was more enjoyable than too many of the movies that actually came out in 2025.
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