Film Review - Restore Point (2023)

Humanity no longer has death to fear in Robert Hloz’s feature directorial debut Restore Point. Set in Central Europe in the not too distant future of 2041, a breakthrough in science means that victims of untimely or unnatural deaths are now able to be brought back to life through regularly backing up their brain activity using a powerful new technology – known as ‘restoration points.’ This technology, developed due to the rise in violent crime and unrest, has not come without its detractors though, and the most vocal is activist group River of Life who have resorted to acts of terrorism over what they deem as scientists playing god.

When David Kurlstat (Matej Hadek), the head researcher of the Restoration Institute, and his wife Kristina (Katarzyna Zawadzka) are brutally murdered and their restoration points all but erased, all signs point to the River of Life being the culprits. However not all is as it seems, cue Police Detective Em Trochinowska (Andrea Mohylova) who soon works out that there is a lot more to the case than meets the eye.

When it comes to science fiction, it can often be tricky for filmmakers to effectively express the requisite components needed to make a futuristic world come to life. Whether it is budgetary constraints, the complexity of the premise or any number of other reasons – sci-fi can be in danger of losing the audience before it has even begun. In this case, Restore Point excels in both its world building and its premise.

Hloz presents a wholly futuristic future, where every small detail has been thought of from how cars would work to how newspapers might look. The idea of humanity being able to be restored after death is outlandish enough to be thoroughly intriguing and yet not outlandish enough to isolate the audience. The central story is for all intents and purposes becomes a murder mystery, only it is set to a science fiction backdrop. The creation of this world is also helped by some stunning visuals and Restore Point is always a joy to look at.

Restore Point also boasts some great performances with Andrea Mohylova as the standout. Mohylova excels as Detective Trochinowska whose number one focus is always on the job and what best serves the general population, in spite of her own personal reasons that could quite easily mean differently. She is tough, determined and purposeful, and yet there are small unguarded moments that show that she is feeling a myriad of emotions beneath the surface.

Visually stunning with an incredibly effective score, Restore Point is thoroughly engaging throughout. Raising thought provoking questions about life, death and agency, the film presents utopian ideas in a dystopian world leaving the audience wondering whether the finality of death is a blessing or a curse. Overall, this is a fantastic debut for Hloz.