Blade Runner 2049 is both a surreal visual spectacle and a powerful experiential journey. Review by Matt Cummings Science Fiction and Sci-Fi have existed as twins, constantly misidentified and suffering from people's perceptions of the other. On the one side, you have Sci-Fi, which merely entertains and is always content with its role as party guest: think Starship Troopers or Aliens . Then there's Science-Fiction, constantly finding itself reading a book while their cooler brother parties on. The greatest of these set humanity in space, the future, and many times both. Think 1997's Gattaca , 1969's 2001: A Space Odyssey , and of course 1982's Blade Runner . Blade Runner 2049 not only immediately enters the former, but perhaps stands atop; it's a cinematic experience which demands your attention, as trippy as it is beautiful, set in a time which feels more relevant than ever, and with plenty on its mind. LAPD officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a su