Blade Runner 2049 Review: 8 Ups & 2 Downs

4. Denis Villeneuve's Stunning Direction

Denis Villeneuve has been on one hell of a hot streak as of late, blowing away audiences with Incendies, Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival and now this film all within the space of a mere seven years.

Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of the most-adored and sought-after directors in Hollywood, with his name already in the hat to helm Bond 25, and with damn good reason.

Blade Runner 2049 is a film that requires a director who can wear multiple hats at once, satisfying the requirements of big-budget blockbuster filmmaking and also something more quiet and cerebral.

Villeneuve effortlessly manages this without creating any sort of awkward clash, harnessing every aspect of the production into a dizzying, haunting masterwork like nothing else out there.