2067 Review: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic Breath of Fresh Air

Release date: October 2, 2020
Running time: 115 minutes
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ryan Kwanten, Deborah Mailman, Aaron Glenane

By the year 2067, Earth has been ravaged by climate change and humanity is forced to live on artificial oxygen. An illness caused by the synthetic O2 is killing the world's population and the only hope for a cure comes in the form of a message from the future: “Send Ethan Whyte”. Ethan (Smit-McPhee), an underground tunnel worker, is suddenly thrust into a terrifying new world full of unknown danger as he must fight to save the human race.

2067 has an interesting world take.  With so many post-apocalyptic movies being based on oil or water, oxygen is a new take and one that is just as dire and easy to understand.  Also, the idea that synthetic oxygen could be causing illnesses plays on fears of synthetic, non-natural ingredients and foods causing health problems.  This dying world is explored a decent amount, with quick hints about the various oxygen issues, world issues, and what people are doing to survive in this dystopian future.  And despite this world containing a lot of CG, there were only a few times when I thought it was noticeable.  However, when it was noticeable it was VERY noticeable.

Your love or dislike of this movie will definitely be tied to the characters, and especially your feelings about Kodi Smit-McPhee.  As the one who is chosen to figure out the message from the future, we see him a lot throughout the film and he is often alone.  This forces him to carry large portions of the film and thankfully he does a good job when called upon.  His character goes through a wide range of emotions during this ordeal and has to balance a lot, and Smit-McPhee showcases this well.  Some might find his character whiney but given what he has to go through I thought it was a good representation of someone who is thrust into a high pressure new role and gets in over their head.  The rest of the cast are likewise enjoyable in this journey, especially Kodi's brother portrayed by Ryan Kwanten.  They don't get as much raw screen time as Smit-McPhee, but all help to fill out this post-apocalyptic world.

As previously mentioned, the story of 2067 is an interesting take on the end of civilization, and that includes some creative technology.  I really liked the technology that was introduced and some of the interesting touches that were put in to show how people might be having trouble breathing in this new world.  The story starts off slowly and establishes the world, the lack of oxygen, and the issues with the synthetic oxygen.  And when it moves to Ethan's part, the story begins to speed up.  It also introduces an element of doubt and paranoia as Ethan is unsure of what he has to do and questions what steps need to be taken to help the world.  After all of this, the film builds to a major climax and then concludes with a satisfyingly epic ending.  This is also helped by some really phenomenal musical accompaniment throughout.  And this ending and the journey are so enjoyable that it lets you forgive some of the major plot holes in the film.    

2067 is a breath of fresh air, with a new take on a post-apocalyptic scenario, strong acting from Kodi Smit-McPhee, and a well-paced story that concludes with a satisfying ending.

Watch it.

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2067 In Theatres, on Demand and Digital on October 2, 2020.  For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

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