Restore Point

Unnatural death is a thing of the past in Robert Hloz's "Restore Point."

Unnatural death is a thing of the past in Robert Hloz's "Restore Point," a sci-fi Neo-noir film that takes a minimal budget and puts on a masterclass whose result is breathtaking. It's also one of my favorite films of 2024 so far.

For generations who've grown up in a video game world, the understanding of a restore point is clear - you die and go back to your last saved location. It's a premise that it opens a Pandora's box of possibilities that are equal parts intriguing and chilling. This is the reality of "Restore Point."

With an increase in violent crime in the not-so-distant future, a technology has emerged called "Restore Point" where folks who have backed up their consciousness can be brought back to life in the case of unnatural death. The only catch is that you must be backed up within 48 hours. Anything beyond that, and it's donezo for real.

Emma Trochinowska (Andrea Mohylova) is thrust into a case where the leader researcher for the Restoration Institute, David Kurlstate (Matej Hadek), and his wife are murdered. She discovers they both had valid backups, but things take an interesting turn when David reemerges alive a few days later with a chunk of his memory missing.

The only link to the killer is a necklace that she soon tracks back to Viktor Toffer (Milan Ondrik), the leader of a movement called "River of Live" whose sole mission is to bring about the natural order of things, including death. With David by her side, Em must navigate a vast web of conspiracies and lies leading to the top levels of government and the institute, leaving lines blurred between good and evil.

"Restore Point" is a movie that begs you to lock the door, turn the lights down low, and do nothing else by getting enveloped in its world. Despite some shortcomings in acting and dialogue, I loved this movie and haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

Hloz dazzles in his feature film debut, and if Hollywood does knock his door entirely off its hinges to get hold of his talents, it shows how truly out of touch Hollywood is. Hloz masterfully crafts the world of "Restore Point" with great special effects and actual locations and did so on a reported budget of $2 million. I was blown away.

As I said before, the acting can be a little stiff at times, and the voice-over choices didn't fit some characters, but man, this was an interesting watch. Mohylova, Hadek and Ondrik are a great trio to play well off each other and fuel the tension that helps fuel the film. The ensemble works exceptionally well with supporting actors offering dynamic performances that only strengthen the film.

"Restore Point" is a great sci-fi Neo-noir that shouldn't be missed. It's a film that, by simply asking the question - if you could escape death, would you, unravels a myriad of interesting possibilities you can't ignore.