It’s the year 2030. QR codes (Quick Response Codes) on your backs and Microchips imbedded in the flesh hold the key to your new identity. Every thought, every feeling isn’t your own. Everything you once were and everything you loved has been “erased”. Gone forever and replaced with the memories of someone you don’t know. Who are these people? How did you get here? Is this real? Am I real? The more questions you ask the less you know. You can’t run, you can’t hide. They’ll always find you. Be a good little soldier or you’ll be sent “back”. Welcome to The Man with the Magic Box.
In the film set in the dystopian future of Warsaw, a man wakes up without any memory of his previous life and finds an old radio from the 1950s that triggers mysterious visions of another past life. As he tries to piece together his past identity with the help of his beautiful but aloft boss, he runs afoul of a totalitarian government willing to do anything to stop him.
I absolutely loved this film! The imagery, the color scheme, the camera angles. Everything is perfect! If you’re a fan of Blade Runner and Men In Black you will be a big fan of Man with the Magic Box as well. The music is hauntingly beautiful and adds to the films dark but airy tone. There’s a particular scene that I did not see coming. It changes the film completely and I think this was a smart decision. I’ve seen this type of flip done before but this film does it exceptionally well. It’s hard to pull of this type of story and I think Bodo Kox (Writer/ Director) did a brilliant job.
Whenever I hear the term Sci-Fi I always think of Avatar, Matrix, and a “stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder” who’s best friend is a giant dog that gargles. Man with the Magic Box is a breath of fresh air in the Sci-Fi genre. It takes inspiration from stories once told but lands on its own two feet. It takes you in one direction and just when you think you’ve figured it out, it changes course. This is one of the best genre pieces I have seen in a very long time. It’s well written, well thought out, and is captured beautifully onscreen. I give Man with the Magic Box a solid A! Well done! I tip my hat to the brilliant Bodo Kox.