Mars Express is a smart and stylish addition to the sci-fi noir canon

Mars Express is a futuristic detective story about the autonomy of synthetic beings — which is to say, it’s the latest in a long line of sci-fi influenced by Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner. But while its premise may be familiar, the movie makes up for it with style and energy. The debut feature from director Jérémie Périn, Mars Express features absolutely stunning 2D animation, a fully realized world, and a pulse-pounding story that kept me guessing right until the end.

It’s set in 2200, a point in time when Earth is described as a “slum for the unemployed,” while Mars has become somewhat better... at least for the rich, who live in what’s best described as a futuristic vision of the suburbs under a protective dome with bright screens that mask the outside world. Complicating the social dynamics are synthetic life-forms, which come in various flavors. There are typical robots used to do menial and service jobs, with some humans fighting to liberate them and one megacorporation trying to phase the machines out in favor of organic versions. Meanwhile, there are also “backups,” androids with the memories and personalities of deceased humans, who must follow a strict set of Isaac Asimov-like rules.