Restore Point fro the Czech Republic has a lot of things going for it, and I ended up having lots of nit-picky questions that suggest to me that I really liked the film and wanted to understand all the things behind it, the logistics of the scenario. But most of all, I loved all the little tech things that seemed like real possibilities.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Set in the year 2049, this kissing cousin to Blade Runner sees a world where people are able to back themselves up, and restore themselves should they suffer an unnatural death, i.e. murder or accident (I have questions about death in fires).

Detective Em Trochinowska (Andrea Mohylova) is called in on a murder that involves one of the chief scientists of the restore point technology and the company that owns the process, which it is intent on taking private.

Mired in mystery there is a terrorist group known as River of Life who seems intent on stopping all restoration, claiming it’s unnatural, and Trochinowska has to navigate a dangerous world to learn the truth.

Outside of the restoration process all of the other jumps in technology we see on the screen feel and seem believable, and just currently beyond our abilities, so by the time 2049 rolls around, they could be a reality. And they all just look so cool! In fact, the entire film looks great, the story is layered and has a lot going on. It also raises all manner of ethical questions which are always good for a chat after a screening.

While Trochinowska is no Rick Deckard, she is a smart and capable officer who is more interested in the truth than her own personal welfare, and she knows how to follow a clue even if it leads to an impossibility and a murder victim returns from the dead, offering even more clues and possibilities about what is going on in, and who is pulling the strings.

Honestly, it’s not so hard to figure out who the big bad is, but it’s the layers and motivations for the other characters that prove really interesting. I like where the story leads, I enjoyed how it played out, and most of all, I love seeing the world in which it was set. It’s not quite as gloomy as Blade Runner, but it could very well be started down the same path.

This one is definitely worth checking out at Toronto After Dark, and it is preceded by the exciting digital short, Xtemplar which is a sweet little actioner. You can get tickets, find showtimes, and discover other titles to see here. What will you be watching After Dark?