That cost, however, doesn't seem so bad by the time we conclude "Utopia," which we realize is anything but. He seems trapped indefinitely, but then he gets an unexpected chance - though one that comes at considerable cost. By the time Jack finally decides that he must escape, the building blocks of the world and story have been carefully laid into place, forming a chain of obstacles that make it harder for him to leave.
#Utopia movie series#
It takes some time for the dramatic conflict to emerge, but the world-building is fascinating enough to carry interest through, and is substantial and detailed enough to power an entire series or feature. Jack is a stand-in for the audience, looking increasingly askance at how even the most intimate recesses of everyday life can't escape the pitiless lens of a camera and the desperate people wielding them. The aesthetic approach offers a counterpoint to the often horrifying reality shown on screen, in which citizens are incentivized to document one another's offenses through their omnipresent phones. The bright sunniness of the cinematography and the percolating, cheerful musical score that peppers itself throughout the film also add touches of stylish buoyancy to what is an increasingly dark story. The narrative action at the beginning catalogs the myriad ways that control and order are exerted over people, and there's dour, wry humor embedded in how Frank escorts his increasingly skeptical brother through this brave new world. The writing takes time in its world-building, which is often one of the pleasures of the sci-fi genre. It constructs a fascinating world that seems only a few steps removed from our phone-saturated society, telling its cautionary tale in an ironically jaunty way. Written and directed by Kosta Nikas, this sci-fi short may be named after an ideal paradise of balance and peace, but its title is deeply satirical in how the film portrays the absurdity of the new surveillance state. Unable to adapt or accept the changes, Jack attempts to leave the country - a much harder feat to accomplish than he thought. There are cameras everywhere, and the only safe place in people's homes is the bathroom. Jack is in disbelief as he arrives at Frank's home with his wife Margaret, and he can't even believe that swearing is fined and alcohol is banned. Citizens report and fine one another for various civil infractions, using their mobile phones to record and upload offenses to a government app. But after being met at the airport by his brother Frank, Jack discovers that the country has radically changed. Jack has just come back to his homeland of Australia after over a decade away in paradise.
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