With cinemas being closed for part of this year, there haven’t been that many new films making big headlines, but that doesn’t mean that some interesting ones haven’t slipped out a little under the radar. A case in point would be indie sci-fi film Archive, from first time director Gavin Rothery.
In the near future of the 2030s, roboticist George Almore (Theo James – Divergent Series, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) is tasked with resurrecting an old research station, while also being allowed to work on his prototypes of human equivalent AI. Just before he takes up this appointment, his wife Jules (Stacy Martin – Vox Lux, High Rise) dies, and George secretly becomes fixated on effectively bringing his wife back from the dead as an android.
The story has its roots in classic hard sci-fi, treading familiar territory, with a number of common elements you’ve seen before. The connections with Ex-Machina and especially Metropolis (also co-incidentally set in the 2030s) are clear for instance. It definitely has the feel of a Philip K. Dick novel, with touches of ‘Ubik’ and ‘We Can Build You’ in there, but this is no bad thing, as Dick’s style is one that tended to look at philosophical and social issues, not always from the obvious angle. All that said, the director, Gavin Rothery also wrote Archive, and is clearly a sci-fi fan who knows the tropes. This means that he has managed to avoid any huge clangers, while taking note of the past.
If the name Gavin Rothery seems familiar, then it is probably because he played a significant role in the design of Duncan Jones’ 2009 film Moon. There is a clear link between the two in terms of styling, which is then also influenced by Blade Runner, and many other classic sci-fi such as Silent Running etc..
Rothery’s mastery of the sci-fi environment is obvious from the outset, as the base has a remarkably real and lived in feel to it. It is clinical in some ways, but also rough around the edges, especially as it is supposed to be a mothballed station being brought back from a dilapidated state. Similarly, exterior shots work well, showing this remote location effectively, and you get the real sense of remoteness and desolation. Cinematographer Laurie Rose seems to have to have captured this by combining both muted and colourful palettes into many beautiful sequences, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering his previous excellent work (High Rise, Sightseers, A Field in England, Stan & Ollie).
It is also impressive that the robots, J1 and J2, are characterised in a believable way, with each having distinct personalities, and reflecting their supposed stage of development. Movement wise as well, this has been cleverly done, keeping a sense of the robotic, but also having an element of grace. Visually they’re a cross between the classic industrial robot look, a Star Wars Gonk Droid, and the drones from Silent Running, but with a much more realistically created style. They look legitimate, and you can easily believe they’re real.
If there is a problem here, it’s that in some ways the characterisation of J2 comes across as a recalcitrant child some of the time, which while in keeping with the supposed mental ages of the robot, becomes this sort of HAL like entity in the midst of his work. Given the difficulties he’s trying to overcome, both technically and keeping his secrecy, you’d think he’d nip that in the bud.
Archive is also a little slow in places, and while it mostly has a 1970s sci-fi sensibility about it, which fits this slow pace, in one or two moments it lags just a little too much. Generally though, this old school approach lends itself well to the material, and a lot of suspense builds as the film progresses. This is aided by the score from Steven Price, which is in parts haunting, rhythmic, and eerie, although it does go a little ‘Stranger Things’ in places. Despite any misgivings though, as a whole this hangs together and is tightly packaged into a believable, compelling film.
If you need a fix of no nonsense hard sci-fi, then Archive should suit you very well. It looks fantastic has a series of nice twists, and some interesting characterisation. There is also something to think about, as well as some nice suspenseful mystery, wrapped up in a lonely tale. On top of that, excellent performances from Theo James and Stacy Martin draw you in and help the film deliver.
Archive is available to stream via Amazon et al.
