HBO Quietly Adds Forgotten Sci-Fi Thriller Film 2073

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Beginning February 1st, HBO Max subscribers will have access to a lesser-known film directed by Asif Kapadia. Released in 2024, 2073 was co-written by Kapadia and Tony Grisoni, and features Samantha Morton (known for The Whale), Naomi Ackie, Hector Hewer, and Nigel Farage.

The new British sci-fi film, 2073, paints a bleak picture of the future, drawing inspiration from the 1962 short film La Jetée. It tackles serious issues like climate change, the rise of powerful corporations, and the decline of democracy. Director Asif Kapadia won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2016 for his film Amy.

The film 2073 debuted at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2024. Distributed by Neon, it earned a modest $59,000 at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo. The film is set in the year 2073, a time where modern anxieties have come true: surveillance drones fill the sky, heavily armed police patrol ruined streets, and those who remain hide underground, desperately trying to recall a better past.

Currently, the movie has a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews from critics, and a 43% audience score from around 250 fans. Director Kapadia also discussed what made the film, 2073, stand out, noting its differences from other movies in the post-apocalyptic genre.

Kapadia on Flipping a Genre On Its Head

Kapadia explained that with his film, 2073, he wanted to do something different from typical futuristic stories. Instead of imagining a future filled with special effects and flying cars, he decided to build it entirely from real events. He focused on the most frightening, violent, and impactful moments of the last decade, using only things that have actually happened to create a realistic, yet unsettling, vision of the near future.

Kapadia explained that the scariest parts of the film are rooted in solid research and journalism. While the dramatic storyline and Samantha Morton’s performance were fictional, everything else viewers see is based on real events. He believes this approach is unique.

He explained that much of the film’s content came directly from real news and events. He stated the movie is based on actual footage, much of which he initially found on social media. The film serves as a commentary on social media and technology, using disturbing content readily available online. He noted that while people often quickly scroll past such upsetting material, he wondered if it could be the basis for a film.

2073 is streaming on HBO Max.

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2026-02-02 02:40