"...Oh this is like Blade Runner but Blade Runner was better so that means this is bad".

Science fiction films are always tricky to pull off, but if you have a good story on your hands, everything weak could possibly fade away. That being said, one of Netflix's most recent releases in Mute is an example of a film with a great setting, great premise, and great characters, that still manages to fall flat on its face. I was looking forward to this movie since I first heard the logline a few months ago, and seeing that Duncan Jones was at the helm as director only excited me more. There are aspects of this film to admire and praise once the credits roll, but the overall execution and where the story ends up was very messy. Here's why I think you should completely avoid this movie, unless you're just looking to get a kick out of a visual world, regardless of quality. After an accident when he was a kid, Leo was left without a voice. Now a bartender with a girlfriend, he's faced with incredible odds when she goes missing. Determined to find her, he goes up against the city's gangsters and worst criminals. That premise alone is what got me hooked and wanting to watch this film on day one of release. That being said, the way this film plays out is one of the most disappointing viewings I've had in quite some time. Picture a film like Blade Runner setting up the amazing world that it does, but not really having a compelling story or anything really to say to its audience. That's how I felt when watching Mute. When a movie sets up a premise, it's pretty fair that audiences should be expecting for the movie to deliver on its payoff. Mute doesn't exactly accomplish that because it relies too much on the side characters and derails itself from its core storyline. I found myself wondering why so much focus was being put on Paul Rudd's portrayal of Cactus and Justin Theroux's Duck. Alexander Skarsgård has been cast in so many properties, but never truly given a chance to shine. Sadly, I think this is the best performance he's ever given, which is a huge shame, due to the fact that this movie doesn't do it justice in any way. Aside from the way this movie plays out, there are a few things to commend here. As I said, I thought Skarsgård was stellar here and it's always nice to see Rudd in a dramatic performance. In terms of setting up this world, I thought director Duncan Jones did a great job. There are some pretty memorable sequences sprinkled throughout Mute and even some of the visuals are decent, but it still doesn't amount to much when many of these aspects are also negatives. A great scene means nothing if your overall movie is lacking and solid visuals in certain moments are worthless if others feel like they're from the 1990s. Quite honestly, Mute is the definition of a movie that tries very hard and fails miserably in its execution. In the end, Mute is commendable for many reasons. Honestly, I felt the same way about this movie that I did toward Warcraft. Duncan Jones has proven himself to be a very talented director with his work on either Source Code or Moon, but his blockbuster debut in Warcraft set up a nice world but didn't expand on it enough to really create any intrigue. Mute suffers from those exact same issues, making Jones a very hit-or-miss director now. Upon first glance, I would've called him a director to really look out for, but it seems like he's really trying to go big or go home these days. Mute is fine for a few isolated moments, but as a whole, it's very, very weak.