2073 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

2073 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 17, 2025

Director Asif Kapadia is a documentarian, scoring some critical and commercial successes with 2010’s “Senna” and 2015’s “Amy.” In 2024, he helmed “Federer: Twelve Final Days,” examining the last stand for a popular professional tennis player. And now Kapadia is taking on the end of Earth in “2073,” which merges worlds of fiction and non-fiction to best examine the downfall of humanity as matters grow increasingly grim for the planet and its inhabitants. The future’s not bright in the picture, as it follows a woman and her experiences 50 years from now, attempting to find thinking and information in a land controlled by machines and the rich. “2073” isn’t an easy sit, and perhaps it doesn’t make for a complete film, but the ideas contained within it are valuable. Kapadia provides a warning about power and influence, presenting stories of oppression and destruction to help viewers grasp the dire situation we’re in right now, making a few severe points worth understanding.

It’s been 37 years since “The Event,” and the world is collapsing. Ghost (Samantha Morton) lives in the bowels of an abandoned mall in New San Francisco, making a home for herself as she tries to stay out of sight. She’s a scavenger, discovering a copy of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” eager to understand its messages on world unity written in the 1960s, thinking about how they apply to the experience of 2073. Ghost encounters Jack (Hector Hewer), an AI-powered machine trying to resemble an average human in the midst of survival. And there’s the Professor (Naomi Ackie), who pays Ghost a visit, representing an educated person no longer welcomed in the new world order. Ghost reflects on the life of her grandmother, who lived freely until she was no longer needed, surrounded by a police and surveillance state that wants to eliminate her as well.

There’s very little story to “2073,” which stays close to Ghost as she endures her daily routine. She lives in a tight space in the depths of a mall, trying to keep to herself while embarking on missions into the surrounding area, going through dumpsters to find objects of value. She pulls a book from the trash, beginning to read the story of Malcolm X, which becomes a time travel device for her mind, taking her back over 100 years with words that seem relevant to her in 2073. There are glimpses of this future in the feature, finding New San Franscisco the new capital of the United States, and the Trump legacy remains. Kapadia doesn’t have the budget to really sell the details of it all, using news footage to make his points about pollution, police control, and general oppression, creating atmosphere for Ghost’s journey of thought.

“2073” is also a documentary, as Kapadia looks to the real-world horrors that have brought the planet to its knees. The feature dials back to the 1990s and 2000s to get a handle on the plan by a select few to disrupt democracy, using violence and the media to assert control over the powerless. Names include Putin, Modi, and Duterte, and the saga of “Brexit” is examined as well, as outside forces allegedly conspired to turn Britain upside down, with Nigel Farage leading the charge. The erasure of common good is one of the many sharp points Kapadia hopes to communicate, also spotlighting the efforts of determined journalists to question this authority, going against post-truth news outlets to actually investigate what’s happening with corrupt and dangerous political figures. “2073” also makes salient points about the rise of social media, which has corrupted information, allowing disinformation to dominate as users are easily brought to submission by anything they see.

2073 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "2073" uses a large amount of file footage to complete the documentary journey. These clips aren't always in the best shape, occasionally looking blocky and low-res. More stable is time with Ghost shot specifically for the picture, which offers a better sense of detail, especially with skin particulars on the characters, and their sense of scavenger gear. Environments are also reasonably deep as exteriors are explored, while Ghost's tight living space registers as intended. Colors are drained in fictional footage, securing cooler hues with a limited palette. More alert are visions of disaster, which bring more define oranges and reds to the feature. News footage offers brighter primaries with graphics and decoration. Skin tones are natural. Compression issues carry throughout the viewing experience, finding mild banding a common sight. Slight posterization is present as well.

2073 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is dealing with a largely informational listening event, and voices are decently clear during interview segments, periodically battling the limits of video conference technology. Ghost's arc in "2073" offers crisp thoughts and dialogue exchanges. Scoring handles with sharpness, securing defined instrumentation. Surrounds remain active, pushing out some musical moods and managing sound effects, providing a few panning elements with flying drones. Low-end offers some presence with violent activity.

2073 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

2073 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"2073" tracks Ghost's thoughts and experiences, but her journey isn't the point of the feature. Kapadia uses a vision of tomorrow to best reinforce the nightmares of today, extending to the rise of tech companies and their billionaire backers, who have gradually acquired more influence and control over the last 20 years. Men like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Peter Thiel are buying their way into the system, and the lure of A.I. and all the control it provides drives the mission. This part of the picture is most timely (downright prescient in some ways), joined by warnings concerning climate emergencies. It all leads to a summation about helplessness, as people are living in a world that's out of their control. Kapadia attempts to exit on a note of empowerment, but he's also realistic, putting some hope into the film's messages, he's just not necessarily optimistic about humanity's path forward.