It’s possible I’ve never seen a trailer for a cyber-dystopia in which the protagonist smiles so much. This first look at Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s Hot Spot has a lot of horrors—and a very graphic exploding head—and yes, Djonny (Andrzej Konopka) does seem quite stressed for much of it. (Lapping at puddles?!?!) But he also has a cheeky grin that comes out more than once. Even more than twice. It changes the vibe of this weird, near-future murder mystery.
And there’s Noomi Rapace, face half covered, saying you can call her a witch … but not cyber. Honestly I have no real idea what’s going on here, and the synopsis is not forthcoming:
In Hot Spot, set in a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. As the detective’s identity slowly unravels, his world enters a state of hypnotic meltdown.
This trailer is a wildly appealing mix of imagery both familiar (the person on the edge of the building, blood streaks, people glitching) and disconcerting (something about the tiger in the hallway just sets my teeth on edge). This is par for the course for the director of The Lure, who is once again working with writer Robert Bolesto to craft a clearly unnerving world.
Hot Spot arrives in theaters on August 21st.
