"The Matrix", by Wachowski's

It is difficult to find a way to start talking about "Matrix"; and not only because it is one of the most important science fiction works of all time, but above all because whoever wishes to write a well detailed review and touch all its fundamental aspects should write more of a lenghty book; perhaps even this would not be enough to fully describe.

We must therefore dwell on its fundamentals: the directing brothers (now sisters) Wachowski set up an incredibly complex story, which goes beyond the concept of science fiction, genre or stereotype. They do so by intertwining a hypothetical dark future in which humans must remain hidden underground in order to survive and where Machines have taken over the world, “cultivating” humans and using them as living batteries, with another parallel world, “The Matrix". This virtual reality has been ingeniously crafted by the Machines to make sure the captive human brains can stay active for a whole lifetime, and reamain usable as a power source. The protagonist of such events is an unsuspecting every day white collar worker of this digital world who is, at first, totally unsuspecting of living in a sophisticated neural simulation. The fatal encounter with Trinity and Morpheus, who sees in him something special, will force him to make choices and face truths that only “The One” can sustain.

The film is marvellous and can be truly appreciated only by exploring several different and complementary levels: its narrative, which is beautifully interwoven and influenced by Asian cinema, Japanese Anime culture and by a multitude of science-fiction and spiritual works, finds its counterpart in its incredibile visuals.  These are a continuous alternation between a familiar 1999,  its darker version generated within the Matrix and the post-apocalyptic “real world” in which what little remains of free humanity struggles to survive under the constant threat of ruthless hunting machines. 

Many incredible technical innovations were also gifted to us by the Wachowskis: the very concept and camera dances created to make possible the “bullet-time” was combined with futuristic fist-fights and the unique looks of the protagonists to create immortal action scenes. Matrix intimist and Christological digressions complements also perfectly its frenetic action,  combining with the many messages and underlying meanings that the film wants to communicate. "Matrix" is this and much, much more; it is a treasure chest that must be opened and explored in extreme depth because of its hiding jewels and secrets; it is a rare gem in a world that is becoming increasingly standardized and less original, it is the last true masterpiece of the twentieth century and one of the most important films ever made. Watching it brings awareness, because even though superficially can be enjoyed as an entertainig pop work, its deeper meanings cannot but reach our inner self and force us to make a choice: blue pill or red pill?

"Blade Runner", by Ridley Scott

There is a time before Blade Runner and an after Blade Runner. Before this wonderful 1982 film, Science Fiction in movies was nothing more than a vaguely defined concept, devoid of any precise form. It was an abstract construction linked to scripts or literary works, but lacking any recognizable identity. After Ridley Scott's masterpiece was released, the science fiction in movies evolved  to a world full of possibilities and stories to tell. These stories started to share common elements that have afterwards gemmed an almost infinite number of inspired and visionary works set in worlds resembling closely those imagined by Philip K. Dick, who elevating  us with this novel, laid the groundwork for the future of this genre.  

As for the technical aspects, there is much to say but everything can easily be summed with just  a few words. With this film we reach an incredible stylistic perfection, a  beautiful narration and richness of contents that in our opinion has never been reached again in any following audiovisual work.  Needless to dwell too much on the directorial aspect: the staging brings us in a squallid and overpopulated futuristic Los Angeles, sunk between skyscrapers full of lights and depicting a suburban neighborhood in which poverty and rain paint highly evocative scenarios of degradation. The masterful Photography highlights a dirty, dark and at the same time psychedelic world, illuminated only by neon lights and disturbing holograms as tall as buildings. The soundtrack is as stunning as are the visuals: a devastating and melancholic mix of blues and pulsating electronic calls that perfectly accompanies thestory to be told. The union of all these elements transports the viewer into the squalid life of Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter on the trail of a series of replicants that must be "withdrawn"; his continuous moral dilemmas are never treated with superficiality, but rather brilliantly and deeply described, resulting  still actual and shareable by any one of us.

 Blade Runner is a magnificent and stunning representation of its genre. A portrait of a world that has yet to come or maybe that is already here.  A crude  illustration of the decline of a superior  civilization that believed it could fly up to the stars, while sanking inesorably in a place where, perhaps, there is no way back.

"The Thing", John Carpenter

If there is a way to describe the distrust that the human being feels towards himself, John Carpenter found it. "The Thing", released in  1982, speaks of this. The freezing and lonely desolation of Antarctica, where the story takes place, is the stage for a situation perfectly congenial to the story to tell: a small group of humans trapped in a hostile place and forced to come to terms with their inner selves and their fears. It matters little that the film is freely inspired by the 1951 masterpiece "The thing from another world" and that there is an alien creature accidentally awakened by a Norwegian research team, just as it is not essential to talk about the plot and uncertainty which increases minute by minute. Tension and fear are constant presences for the spectator, who finds himself in between disturbing scenes and moments in which the splatter and disgust are masters. The analogic special effects are wonderful, as is the soundtrack of a masterful Ennio Morricone. All the grotesque forms assumed by the  Alien perfectly succeed in their intent to amaze and distress the spectator, without howerver never exceeding in trash or splatter representations. Carpenter’s camera direction is extremely clean, following closely the characters and their visual expressions  in pivotal moments, hence almost replacing completely the necessity of dialogues. The director is skilled in instilling doubts in the viewers  at every moment till reaching the movie wonderful final. The last scenes of this film are a perfect representation of Carpenter’s vision: the distrust in man, the fear of the others, the unmotivated hatred driven only by the human instinct of survival and the selfish desire to prevail over others. "The Thing" is a marvelous and horrifying metaphor of the modern world and the society in which we live, but it is  also a fun, enjoyable and frightening sight for the eyes that makes it an undisputed masterpieces of science fiction of all time.

"Alien", Ridley Scott.

In 1979 "Alien" by Ridley Scott is released, and everything changes forever. As a true watershed for Science Fiction and Horror genres, this work arises not only as a cornerstone of Fanta-Horror but also as a launching pad for a myriad of genres and subgenres that will emerge and develop over the following decades.

The film describes a "dirty future" in which a ship returning from a distant planet with a shipment of minerals, the Nostromo, picks up a cryptic and disturbing message from the satellite of an unknown planet. The ship's central computer, Mother,  decides to awaken the crew members from the hyper-sleep, which will be forced to descend on the unknown planet to trace the origin of the mysterious signal and to clarify the directives that led the computer to wake them up from hypersleep. But nothing they could imagine comes close to the chilling truth that they will have to face, and the horror that will come to the Nostromo will be something that none of them was ready to face. A profoundly disturbing film, shot by God, with a soundtrack and a montage that create a tension growing by the  minute and an idea of ​​Stellar Space which appears revolutionary when compared to what was seen until then. A masterpiece of science fiction and not only, an epochal film and an absolute cult, which has launched more sub-genres than can be imagined and introduced the legendary figure of the Xenomorph, a scary and iconic monster at the level of classics like Dracula and Frankenstein. An immortal film to watch again and again also to slowly unveil its hidden subplot which can reveal many more things than you think.