While I can't call this a "good" film, it held my interest all the way through. The overall plot, while simplistic, was uniquely enough put together to do the job: entertain the audience while sending across a few messages.
I can't get into the multiple "inner meanings" of the film without spoilers, so I'm going to do a rare for me, and spoil away, randomly.
First there is the question: why would anyone want to be one of these creatures? Their past and memory erased, emotions altered or removed altogether, subjugated and moronized to the point the "regulars" can't even defend themselves. (Of course, the elite can, though we see no evidence of such.) That isn't explained in the film and is a major plot hole. No incentive, no payment... they're trading one horrible life for another. Why? That's the major flaw in the film.
Second flaw is the coder. The part just isn't believable. No background story, no lead-up, his character is just dull. The acting is no better. That's on the writers, director and actor all three. Just a dull character.
The female lead was done well. Good acting, good character, motives developed in a few short-but-pointed sentences. That works. Doesn't hurt that she's cute.
Beyond that we have the tired story of big pharma creating a virus so they can sell the anti-virus. Where they pulled this off though was making it a mystery in which the audience isn't sure of the culprit until near the very end. That was done well enough. And in the age of Covid... it's quite believable. (Not saying Covid is or isn't man-made. No comment there.)
One of the most poignant lines in the movie: "To what end?" That kind of summed up the entire thing and made this a truly dystopian film: an entire society so morally and ethically degraded that it doesn't matter what they do. They can turn humans into near-mindless robots, turn people into property, create viruses to make a fortune off the anti-virus... whatever they want. What difference does it make when the whole of society is no longer worth saving.
It's an interesting twist that the most human and humane character of the bunch is the virus-packing assassin, who at least has a vestige of a conscience that's strong enough to break through her indoctrination... even if she can't change the plan-in-motion.
Overall, while this isn't a great film it's somewhat thought-provoking, and different enough to provide an interesting watch. The soulless ending in which the scientist simply returns to the same demented job he'd being doing even after learning of the nefarious plot, put the wax seal on the envelope. "To what end?" indeed.
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