Self/less
2015 · Directed by Tarsem Singh
Original language: English
- science fiction
- action
- thriller
The story
An extremely wealthy elderly man dying from cancer undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness to the body of a healthy young man but everything may not be as good as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body's origins and the secret organization that will kill to keep its secrets.
What it’s like
Cool, glossy surfaces and clinical whites give way to saturated, dreamlike color whenever memory or doubt takes over, with Tarsem Singh's ornate framing turning ordinary glass towers, hospital corridors and sun-washed desert roads into stylized set pieces. Sleek digital imagery and crisp, close-up detail keep the surface slick, while the score pulses with synth-tinged tension during chase and action beats. The mood is paranoid and melancholy, a fever-dream unease about mortality and who we are when our bodies change. Pacing is brisk and propulsive, built on escalating set pieces and a steady drip of revelations. A wealthy man in his final days gets a second chance in a new body, and the story follows his slow unravelling of what that trade cost. Violence is moderate but present: gunfights, brief bursts of blood, and some sudden deaths, with no gore for its own sake and no sexual content. It suits a late-night watch, or a long flight where you want style and suspense without needing to follow every detail. It is for viewers who enjoy sci-fi thrillers about identity and mortality, and who don't mind a glossy, slightly overheated look.
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