Virtual Revolution Review – Haunting Tale of the Connected Future

Details

Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Saturday, 20 January 2018 11:06

Written by Janet Walker

Virtual Revolution, from Wild Eye Releasing, brings to the screen a visually graphic and shocking world of 2047 where society is divided into two groups those who live for their Virtual Reality existence, the corporations in control the gamers.

Written and directed by Guy-Roger Duvert, Virtual Revolution stars Mike Dopud, Jane Badler, Jochen Hagele, Maximilien Poullein, Kaya Blocksage, Petra Silander, Nicolas Van Beveren, Elie Haddad, Emilien De Falco, Eric Kailey, Zoe Corraface, and Melissa Mars.

Virtual Revolution opens in the medieval age during an intense sword battle, warriors, men and women, are engaged in concentrated fighting. Suddenly the battle ends with one of the participants saying "I have to check my email," and he taps the air and his host appears.

We then flash to a man in a reclined dental type chair with two prongs resting near his temples. The neon aqua light snaps off and he is back to reality. A phone call and we find he is Nash, played by Mike Dopud, a member of the "connected."

mk2 Opens Doors to Europe’s Largest Permanent Virtual Reality Facility

In voice over, as the camera pans the horizon, we see Paris, the appearance of a desolate city, an advanced society, with sky travel the preferred means for autos, and life best lived in the VR world where one can be anything one wants to be. The choice of avatar allows the meek to become the empowered, the dateless to control the opposite sex, those who thirst for battle or other worlds, or freedom find it with the AVATAR.

The year is 2047. Most of the world's population live inside corporate-controlled virtual worlds and drift further out of touch with reality.

Today however, we have trouble with the Connected, as someone is murdering actual gamers and Nash, a private investigator/ mercenary is hired to track down a group of hackers who are disrupting and terrorizing the virtual space, and eliminate the threat, in a bid to free human beings from their online prisons.

He meets with Dina, played by Jane Badler, who explains the gravity of the situation, the need for discretion and quick resolution.

As we find out Nash is somewhat out of shape, as most gamers who live virtually are, and those behind the mass murder are unconnected and physically fit. The brick wall of a man, who meets up with Nash first, steals his I.D and weapon. Not a good start.

In order to find the man he enlists the skills of an off the grid hacker, Morel, played by Maximilien Poullein, with hardware any government would envy. Hacking into every street camera the linebacker doesn't show up.

Following a secondary clue he ends up at the apartment of a slovenly gamer, overweight, living in squalor, as no other world exists except his VR world. Life around the gamer is non-existent, as we find Nash breaks into the apartment, puts a chair under the door and as he is preparing to eliminate the threat, linebacker walks out the kitchen. A death battle ensures, unnoticed by our overweight gamer, this time Nash is prepared and kills him.

All The Money In The World Review – Four Stars, Flawless Filmmaking

He also kills the gamer who didn't sign out and so he is able to step into his VR world and see his VR life where he fdiscover the leaders of the plot to free the gamers.

Virtual Revolution depicts a society where gamers are subsidized by the government as life expectancy rates have dramatic dropped. Few live past 40, a small stipend is given for food, and connectivity is free. Few refuse to live in what is called the real world.

The film is haunting. It echoes in the mind as the VR world continues to become more mainstream. The plot is intricate and the film commands the full attention. I was surprised at my own interest. I wanted to find out how the plot was resolved.

Virtual Revolution is a geek superfilm. There are points in the film that one can see transforming the industry. As we become accustomed to the VR world, there are those who have already seen its future.

The sci-fi genius of Guy-Roger Duvert has struck again. A sleeper hit with 49 wins and 26 nominations, Virtual Revolution won Best Feature at The Los Angeles Independent Film Festival; The Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award at Dances with Film.

The film received the Award of Recognition at the Hollywood International Moving Picture Film Festival, The Best Sci-Fi at Hollywood Verge Film Awards, at The Best Sci-Fi/Horror Film at The Berline Independent Film Festival, DE.

Virtual Revolution received the Best Cinematography at the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival, Best Visual Effects at the New Orleans Horror Film Festival, the Festival Prize at Super Geek Film Festival at Florida Supercon, the Award of Excellence Special Mention at The IndieFest Film Awards; Best Action, Best FX, Best Sound, at The Top Indie Film Awards, the Film took all the prizes at the Zed Fest Film Festival including the Mary Pickford Award for lead actress Jane Badler.

A haunting tale of the connected future, Virtual Revolution will be released on DVD in January.