Arq: Netflix is on the Edge of Tomorrow

Hello everybody! Look’s like it is that time again, for yet another Netflix original. Welcome to the Arq.

ARQ

DIRECTED BY: Tony Abbot

STARRING: Robbie Amell, Rachael Taylor, Shaun Benson, Gray Powell, Jacob Neayem, Adam Butcher

GENRE: Science Fiction

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: United States, Canada

Renton wakes up beside his former lover, Hannah. As he strokes her face, three men in air filtration masks break into his bedroom and take him hostage. He and Hannah are taken to another room and bound to chairs. The leader of the group introduces himself as Father, identifying the others as Sonny and Brother; Cuz died of electrocution after touching a large device, the ARQ, in the room. Father says he represents a rebel group known as the Bloc and demands Renton surrender scrips from their rival organization, the Torus Corporation. He gives them several minutes to comply and leaves the room with the others to get food.

Alright, so going into Arq I didn’t expect much. Even though Netflix is seriously on a roll with their orginals, I am still skeptical after Hemlock Grove. Despite this, I was actually pleasantly surprised! The main cast, who are mainly a bunch of nobodies, did a fantastic job in carrying the film. I was quickly entranced by their performances and absolutely loved every minute of it. For a time travel film, they analyze the concept rather well and even put their own twist the doesn’t only sound plausible but could very well work.

The only problem that I had with Arq is mainly the narrative. We don’t receive a whole lot of world building, so there are companies and corporations that seem important but are nothing more than shadow players. While they drive the characters motivations throughout the film, it could have been executed much better. Also, it feels that they even break their own rules of their world, which shatters the world that they were trying to create.

PROS:

• Main cast performance
• Time travel twist.
• Overall plausibility.

CONS:

• Not enough world building.
• Breaks that world’s rules with little impact.

SCORE: 8.5 / 10

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