Director Denis Villeneuve is a philosopher, exploring personal, social and metaphysical issues with grace and power. His most recent effort, Arrival, transcended genre. It was an alien invasion film that addressed technological anxiety, while also being emotionally powerful and visually striking.

With Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve hasn’t just outdone himself. He has outdone most directors working today. Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi classic starred Harrison Ford as a “blade runner”; a cop whose job was to hunt down and kill humanesque androids known as replicants. Set 35 years later, the sequel grapples anew with themes of technology, power and soul.

Ryan Gosling plays K, a replicant police officer whose job is to hunt down and “retire” the earlier generation of replicants now outlawed. K is ostracised as a “skinjob” by everyone but Joi (Ana De Armas), his holographic live-in girlfriend. Joi appears to love and believe in K – but are her emotions that of a “real girl”, or is she merely fulfilling her programming? And does it matter either way?