ARCHIVE

★★★

Writer-director Gavin Rothery’s slickly assembled sci-fi character study follows robotics genius George Allmore (a careerbest Theo James, practically in every frame) trying to develop the perfect human android in a Japanese research facility following the death of his wife. The plot’s cores and themes pilfer from a million sci-flicks (hello, Silent Running, Moon, Ex Machina) and subplots involving corporate subterfuge (hello, Toby Jones) invade the carefully built mood, but Rothery’s world-building on a shoestring budget is mightily impressive. And the prototype robots J1 and J2 (who has feelings of jealousy over Allmore’s latest creation) are scene-stealers.