3 Star

Future Imperfect.

Or

How to Find Love in Dystopia.

Australian Independent writer/director and composer, Ivan Sen (Dreamland, Mystery Road), brings us an unusual take on the future dystopian megacity, with a monologue from the main character, to tell us his thoughts and his shattered memories. Expired shows hints of classic dystopian films such as Akira to Blade Runner, and fits nicely into this Sc-Fi genre. A really great watch.

Jack (Ryan Kwanten, Glorious, Kill Chain, Flight 7500) is a lonely man, as he is anonymous in the sprawling megacity where he has lived all his life. He has had a tough life, he doesn’t remember his father, and his mother sold him before he was born, so he has always had to fend for himself. Growing up, he found a father figure, but even he left Jack suddenly.

Growing up on the streets, he has acquired some handy skills, and he takes on jobs for the police, but he does it down a back alley, he takes on hits that the police can’t do. He removes the vermin from the streets of this future, imperfect Hong Kong.

Then one day i got a chance to sell my soul. And I took it.

He is plagued with faint memories of a childhood that he cannot grasp. Memories of butterflies and children begging, but he fails to work out where and when he had these experiences.

Jack is out on the streets, he follows a girl on the subway, until she gets to an entertainment lounge. I think he has done this before, he asks the host for a specific girl, number 398, it is the girl he has been following, he can see her, but she can’t see him. She sings and talks with him as finds out her name is April (Jillian Nguyen, Millie Lies Low, Hungry Ghosts (TV Mini Series)) and she is from South Korea, and grew up in a small village.

You can still see the moon at night.

He has an obsession about April, following her and visiting the lounge. She recognizes his voice, they chat again and arrange to meet up outside of work.

While following April, Jack gets the feeling he is being watched and he is, two guys seem very intent on getting a grip on him. He manages to lose the followers, and turn the tables on one of them, the Japanese Man (Andrew Ng, Pound of Flesh, Captured) gets spooked and steps in front of a bus. Expecting to see the worst, Jack is surprised to see that it wasn’t a human but a humanoid, a robot that appears and acts like a human, these were supposed to replace humans in the work place, but they are very expensive. What he does find is a computer chip, this leads him onto the path of missing scientist Doctor Bergman (Hugo Weaving, Strangerland, The Hobbit 3D Extended Box Set), the man who could unlock Jack’s past and his future.

Expired (Loveland) is a slow burning look into the future of human society, and how it may be skewed, to cater for different aspects of human requirements. Don’t expect this film to be all about Hugo Weaving, this is an Australian independent film that has managed to get a big name to come in and do a brilliant job along with these young up-and-coming actors. A cracking watch.

Jack is a killer, not a lover.

Expired. On UK digital platforms, 7 November 2022