Edge of Tomorrow
2014 · Directed by Doug Liman
Original language: English
- action
- science fiction
The story
Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again... and again - as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.
What it’s like
Gritty, washed-out military palette: steel greys, rain-slicked concrete, bruised blues and flashes of alien blood-green, shot with handheld energy during the beach landings and cooler, more composed framing in the quieter rooms of the military base. Its vibe is kinetic dread with a wry, self-aware edge, the feeling of a blockbuster that keeps resetting itself and enjoys the repetition. Pacing is brisk and tightly edited, with the loop structure giving each restart a sharp, percussive rhythm; the score is driven by pulsing electronic textures and heavy percussion that swell during the battle sequences and thin out during the quieter beats. Emotionally it stays light and playful even as its soldiers die over and over, following a cynical man who gradually learns to fight with purpose and to trust the woman who has lived this day before. Intensity is moderate to high: frequent, stylised gunfire and alien violence, bloody but not gratuitous, with deaths shown quickly and matter-of-factly. Strong language and brief tension, no sexual content. Suits a Friday night with friends or an action-hungry evening, and fans of time-loop puzzles who want spectacle with a sense of humour.
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