A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.
"Before screenplay writer Andrew Niccol stood the science-fiction genre on its head with The Truman Show, he had already shaken it up with this engrossing futuristic thriller, which he also directs. Built around the controversial subject of genetic engineering and how it might lead to a socio-economic class divide, it follows Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), an imperfect human who attempts to join a space mission by illegally exchanging identities with Jerome (Jude Law), a paraplegic with perfect DNA. How he does this armed with blood and urine samples is ingeniously shown by Niccol, who mints a new genre vocabulary with his absorbing, intelligent and suspenseful story. In Niccol's future society, a dustbuster is deadlier than a gun and wearing contact lenses means the choice between life or death. This thought-provoking cautionary tale is stunningly designed and has accomplished performances from Hawke, Law and Uma Thurman that do it full justice." - Radio Times Review
"Before screenplay writer Andrew Niccol stood the science-fiction genre on its head with The Truman Show, he had already shaken it up with this engrossing futuristic thriller, which he also directs. Built around the controversial subject of genetic engineering and how it might lead to a socio-economic class divide, it follows Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), an imperfect human who attempts to join a space mission by illegally exchanging identities with Jerome (Jude Law), a paraplegic with perfect DNA. How he does this armed with blood and urine samples is ingeniously shown by Niccol, who mints a new genre vocabulary with his absorbing, intelligent and suspenseful story. In Niccol's future society, a dustbuster is deadlier than a gun and wearing contact lenses means the choice between life or death. This thought-provoking cautionary tale is stunningly designed and has accomplished performances from Hawke, Law and Uma Thurman that do it full justice." - Radio Times Review