2067 is a film whose flaws stem from a lackluster screenplay by writer-director Seth Larney. Initially, little effort is made to ensure the film stands on its own: nothing stands out as the plot follows a familiar path: the human race is dying thanks to its own idiocy, and only one person can help.

Thanks to his father’s work as a scientist, Ethan Whyte (a stellar Kodi Smit-McPhee) is asked to risk his life by travelling forward in time. After receiving messages from the future, hope rises that humanity not only survived the current climate crisis but that the future is contacting the present to provide help, literally asking for Ethan.

A tad clunky to begin with, this becomes its own creative entity a little too late during the second half of the film, where Ethan is in the future and is accompanied by long time friend/’brother’ Jude (Ryan Kwanten) who felt compelled to help.

The unravelling of the story from these moments are tense and emotionally draining, the relationship between the two men becoming beyond strained as events become unexplainable. Sadly, these mind-bending elements of the future world are scarcely expanded on.

2067 is a by-the-numbers post-apocalyptic film that wastes its strengths, though it is an enjoyable ride for fans of the genre. It looks fantastic, featuring strong performances from all. Rather than expanding on ideas that could have made for a unique film though, 2067‘s reliance on familiar genre tropes is ultimately its downfall.

Many thanks again to Tracey Mair as well as everyone who made the Adelaide Film Festival possible in 2020 during such confused times.