THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Sometimes, the best part of ourselves are shown when we don't plan to.
PLOT
2048: Nowhere to Run follows Sapper Morton who gets by as a farmer. After selling a vial of leeches he farmed, he leaves the crowded Los Angeles to continue making ends meet. However, he chooses to show off his endurance and enhanced strength when a girl named Ella and her unnamed mother get attacked by a group of thugs. His act to protect both girls only frightens them and everyone witnessing, resulting in him leaving the scene and forgetting his identification papers. The short film would end with a spectator retrieving the papers and calling the LAPD, alerting that he's spotted a 'skin job', a slur for a replicant.
THOUGHTS
The hype felt deafening to me when Blade Runner 2049 was coming to theaters in 2017, which only surprises me it wasn't a financial success at the time. Nevertheless, I was still able to maintain it after seeing the second short film that fits into the mold very well. Director Luke Scott once again delivers in crafting an intense depiction that this sci fi dystopia is all about. The set piece of seeing a much more toxic LA felt so real to behold because I know not everyday it can be the City of Angels. Having said that, I think this short stood out to me for saying no one will care of your potential once they see how flawed you are. That's what you're getting when focusing on Dave Bautista as Sapper. Before you even know he's an illegal replicant, you feel the all the gentleness he chooses to be and only becomes a beast when provoked. He did the right thing in protecting those girls, but it would sadly not change how they'd feel of him afterwards. The tragedy of this short is that his act of vigilance would set up his own demise in 2049. I would make the same decision as him, but I wished he had the chance to be on trial before being retired since he never acted with malice. In conclusion, 2048: Nowhere to Run is another great prelude to set up the epic-ness 2049 would be all about. If you loved Blade Runner and are about to watch the infamous legacy sequel, check out this refresher on Youtube.
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