In a world where the sun has become so hot that its toxicity prevents humans from leaving their houses during the day, most of everyday life is lived instead through virtual reality, and a government-sponsored biological clone of yourself can be sent to your spouse in the case of death — thus, entitled men still roam free. LX 2048 is a science fiction film written and directed by Guy Moshe on the nature of humanity, reality, and existence. While the initial premise seems like an inordinately promising world to explore, the film unfortunately gets lost in itself.
The film’s protagonist, Adam Bird (James D’Arcy), is a terminally ill divorcee working in the tech industry who, after being told of his heart condition and impending death, attempts to ensure that his family will be okay without him. What follows is almost two hours of varying plot lines that honestly could have each been their own films, a near-absurd amount of exposition, and one man becoming increasingly angrier and more unhinged. It becomes clear that not only has his family in fact been okay since he’s moved out but that they’ll likely be even better with the “upgraded” clone of him after his death.
D’Arcy and Anna Brewster as his ex-wife Reena Bird give the film their all. Screaming matches, petty vindictiveness, and the lethal combo of self-doubt with complete loathing for each other abounds. Audiences will have no trouble believing that Adam and Reena are estranged spouses. D’Arcy in particular plays the role of this self-absorbed, entitled, narcissistic, and slowly crumbling man to perfection. LX 2048 suffers somewhat though in its portrayal of Adam, treating him like a sympathetic character merely suffering on no account of his own from the wrongdoings of the people around him and the world at large. The film suggests, too, that perhaps he was always in the right regardless of his own actions, leveraged niceties, widespread anger, or inevitable hypocrisy.
LX 2048 is strongest in its cinematography — the set design, lighting, and camera shots all work to better reflect the narrative than the narrative ever does itself. A scene in which Adam, recently virtually killed and re-dubbed Richard Burbage, confronts the clone of himself in a white room with ribbed walls is the film’s high point. The two Adams circle each other around this room resembling the inside of a brain and what would otherwise be an internal war between two versions of yourself becomes physically real. This is unfortunately the extent of any thematic meaning present throughout the film. Ultimately, LX 2048 misses out on what could have been a fascinating opportunity to explore a narrative centered around toxic masculinity in a futuristic society that has already been torn apart by a toxic sun.
