JP Nunez
I love a good mystery. Anytime the protagonist of a movie has to piece together the truth one step at a time, I’m all for it. So naturally, when I first heard about Restore Point, I was instantly intrigued. See, this isn’t just any mystery. It’s a sci-fi mystery, and the film promised to utilize its fantastical tech in some really creative and unique ways. I thought the movie would be right up my alley, so I requested a screener as soon as I got the chance. I couldn’t wait to see what thrilling enigmas this film had in store, and after finally getting the chance to watch it, I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint.
Restore Point was directed and co-written by Robert Hloz, and it stars Andrea Mohylová, Matěj Hádek, Václav Neužil, Milan Ondrík, and Karel Dobrý. The movie takes place about a decade and a half in the future, and it’s set in a world where science has found a way to cheat death. People can upload their memories to a central server, and if they’re killed by anything other than natural causes, they can be brought back to life with those memories intact.
One day, a scientist named David Kurlstat and his wife are murdered, but surprisingly, they can’t be restored. David’s memory file has mysteriously been deleted, and his wife’s is too old to use. However, his employer manages to bring him back using an older backup file, and he’s desperate to find the guy who killed him and his wife. He teams up with Emma, an ambitious young detective working his case, and together, they have to figure out who murdered the Kurlstats and why.
Right from the get-go, Restore Point had me absolutely hooked. Even before the mystery came to the fore, I just found this entire sci-fi world utterly fascinating. Most notably, the acting here is totally believable, and the futuristic tech these people have is really cool. That one-two punch creates a solid foundation for the story to build on, so when the narrative wheels really start to turn, the movie is ready to hit the ground running.
And when it does, it gets even better. I don’t want to give away the details of the mystery, but suffice it to say that it kept me on the edge of my seat. Not only is the whole idea of a guy trying to solve his own murder super intriguing, but the story throws so many twists and turns at you that you simply never know what’s coming next.
In particular, Restore Point continually shapes and reshapes your opinions of its characters. One minute, you’ll think you have a good grasp of who’s good and who’s bad, but then a few scenes later, you’ll realize that nothing is as it seems. You can never be sure who to trust, and that uncertainty will keep you guessing from beginning to end.
To be fair, the film does get a bit predictable in the third act, but even then, it still manages to squeeze in a few unexpected reveals. You’ll probably be able to guess the general gist of how it’s all going to work out, but as the old saying goes, the devil’s in the details. You almost certainly won’t figure out all the specifics, and for my money, that’s enough to keep this movie afloat right up until the credits begin to roll.
All that being said, Restore Point does have its flaws, especially on the thematic level. In fact, as much as I enjoyed the film, I was actually pretty disappointed by the way it handled its themes. See, as you can probably guess from the premise, this story brings up some really interesting ideas about life and death.
Most notably, it raises questions about whether we should even want to make violent death irrelevant. Some characters believe that the entire endeavor showcases an unhealthy fear of death, and they say it’s more natural to relinquish control and just accept whatever life brings, even if that involves dying prematurely.
I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a fascinating issue, so I really wanted to see what Restore Point would say about it. Unfortunately though, the movie ends up not saying much at all. It does little more than just state what these people think, but it never explores that belief in any depth. It doesn’t go into their reasons for thinking that we should relinquish control over death, and we never get to see any real debate about the issue.
Instead, Restore Point quickly forgets about this entire question, and it ends up focusing on something completely different. I can’t say what the main theme of the film actually is without spoiling the mystery, but I can say that it’s a very stereotypical sci-fi trope we’ve seen a million times before. You might find it interesting if you’re new to the genre, but if you have even a passing familiarity with these movies, you’ll probably think it’s a pretty big letdown.
However, in the grand scheme of things, that’s not nearly enough to derail the entire film. On the whole, Restore Point is still an absolutely captivating mystery with good characters and a fun sci-fi setting, so if you’re looking for something good to watch, I highly recommend that you check this movie out.
Restore Point is set to hit VOD on February 8.
