Jude Law and Forest Whitaker headline Repo Men, a fast-paced dystopian thriller whose corporate nightmare feels even more relevant 16 years later.
In 2009, author Eric Garcia (Matchstick Men) published a novel called The Repossession Mambo about a futuristic America where people's unhealthy organs are replaced with artificial ones. However, the greedy corporation making the organs makes them so expensive that people can't make their payments. That is where the repo men come in and repossess the organs, leaving the people to die. One year after the novel's release, the film version, retitled Repo Men, was released in theaters. This week, the remastering kings, Kino Lorber, bring this fast-paced, heart-pounding film to 4K and Blu-ray in a Limited Edition three-disc set.
Remy (Jude Law; The Talented Mr. Ripley) and Jake (Forest Whitaker; Black Panther) are best friends who served in the armed forces together and are now Repo Men working for The Union. They hunt down people who are behind on the payments for their artificial organs and repossess them. However, Remy's wife, Carol (Carice van Houten; Game of Thrones), doesn't like what he does or the impact it has on their son, Peter (Chandler Canterbury; The Host), and asks Remy to move from repossession to sales. On his last repo job, the defibrillator machine malfunctions and Remy finds himself in the hospital in need of a new heart. Now, on the other side of organ sales and repossession, Remy finds himself unable to do either job and defaults on his own payments, with dire consequences.
Law and Whitaker are terrific in the action film as they combine the physicality necessary while also portraying the human emotions their characters demand. Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), who plays their boss at The Union, once again does what he does so well, playing the bad guy without a heart. Director Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones) gives the scenes the gravitas they deserve and keeps the film's pacing on track. His use of various camera angles is interesting, keeping the viewer engaged during the film's almost two-hour running time.
Kino Lorber always does an excellent job with their 4K transfers, and Repo Men is no exception. The Dolby Vision video quality is sharp and clean, and even the smallest details are easy to see with the naked eye. Case in point, the scene where Beth's (Alice Braga; Elysium) knee is injured is shown with great detail as her skin is torn and ragged at the edges.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is excellent as well. The gunfire bounces back and forth, utilizing the surround speakers well, while the dialogue can be heard emanating from the front speakers. Ambient noise is subtle throughout and, again, utilizes the surround speakers nicely.
The combo pack offers several extras, though there is only one that is new. The extras include Audio Commentary by Director Miguel Sapochnik and Writers Eric Garcia and Garrett Lerner, NEW! Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry, Theatrical Trailer, Deleted Scenes (Extended City Shot, Flashback: Poem, Flashback: Tank Video Camera, and Jimmy T-Bone Pink Sheet), The Union Commercials (Thanks to the Union, Didn't Have to Happen, Super Dry, Wife to U, Jack Soda Party, Jack Soda Toy, and Mattress), and Inside the Visual Effects.
Repo Men is not an easy film to watch and is perhaps more relevant today than when it was originally released 16 years ago. The idea of Corporate America valuing profit over human life has been a concern for decades and is still an issue today, so the subject matter is poignant, to say the least. With Law and Whitaker headlining this piece, it feels like it could be any man, any time, any place.
Grade: C
