Redux Redux - Disappointment Embodied
- Viktoria
- Mar 3
- 5 min read
Director: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus
Year of release: 2025
Country of origin: United States
Spoiler status: Light spoiler
Genre: Thriller
Redux Redux lists the following genres on its IMDb page: Action, adventure, crime, drama, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, thriller. If we're being realistic, half of these don't deserve to be on the list. It's not a crime, action, or adventure movie in the traditional sense. The fantasy genre could be applied to any movie set in a made-up universe, but that doesn't mean directors should list it. And the horror. When a movie lists horror as one of its genres, the audience expects to see its elements, but Redux Redux had barely any. This movie is a sci-fi thriller, and if we really have to glue another genre on there, it should be drama. The rest of them are redundant.
The movie baits the audience with its inclusive list of genres, and even though the plot and the acting are okay, some viewers will still feel underwhelmed because they didn't exactly get what they came for.
The movie is great for fans of sci-fi thrillers with a heavy dose of drama, but if you're a fan of any of the other genres listed, you should probably look for another movie.
A Deep Dive Into The Disappointment
Redux Redux has a strong plotline. A mother who lost her daughter to a serial killer jumps between universes to get her revenge, over and over again, losing her humanity in the process. Actors Michaela McManus (Irene) and Stella Marcus (Mia) did a great job at portraying the troubled mother and surrogate daughter duo, yet the writing left something to be desired. As the movie description promises, Irene should start to lose her humanity, but it doesn't come across that way to the viewer. Sure, she keeps on killing the same person over and over again, but in some way that's because she hates him from the depths of her heart, not because she lacks humanity. Throughout the whole movie, she hasn't hurt anyone else but Neville, the serial killer. More than that, when she found Mia, she made an effort to get her to safety. She wasn't losing her humanity; she went numb from all the pain she had to endure, but she was still a person who cared deeply. But this is just one of the problems that needs to be addressed.
Another problem with the movie is that the directors cast a wide net of genres. They say it's a deliberate creative choice to blend some stale sub-genres into a low-budget movie in hopes it would freshen them up. The main issue is the overpromising when it comes to the genres. They included 8 of them, and after watching the film, some viewers might feel lied to. The main genres are definitely thriller and sci-fi, and the movie delivers on that front. Some action, adventure, and crime aspects are also included, but Redux Redux couldn't be considered as any of those because it doesn't fit into their molds. And even though thriller is often mentioned alongside horror, it shouldn't be the case with this one. One could say that it had slight elements of psychological horror, but unfortunately, the dread wasn't strong enough for that. From a horror perspective, it lacked intensity and scares. It simply fell short. And even though the movie is a miss when it comes to horror, it still had some good moments.
Often in low-budget movies, the quality of the acting suffers thanks to a lack of funding. That's not the case in Redux Redux. Both McManus and Marcus did a great job at depicting their characters, making it easy for the audience to connect with them. Viewers worldwide said they found Mia's character annoying, which only means that Marcus did a great job impersonating a strong-willed teenager. The universal truth is that the best actors are the ones who invoke strong feelings in the audience. As for McManus, her depiction of a broken and troubled mother was impeccable. She might not be an A-lister, but she definitely deserves the recognition and respect she earned during her 10+ years in the industry. She embodied every emotion of her character and made it feel real, and even though the writing was clumsy at times, she managed to save the story with her great acting skills.
Another great feature of this movie is the visuals. Even though it's a low-budget movie, the vibrancy and attention to detail are admirable. There wasn't any oversaturation or unnecessary lingering on scenes that don't matter. The directors also did a great job with the soundtrack. There were no needless sound cues or clumsily placed songs. Every sound had its own place and purpose. Thanks to these great features, the movie wasn't a complete miss. The soundtrack helped with the intensity of the scenes, and the team behind the visuals knew exactly when to remove the bright tones to indicate the seriousness of the situation. The fact that Irene got the same mug in every universe in the diner, but the color was different in each of them, was a nice touch. This kind of subtle storytelling is appreciated in an age where audiences are often led by their hand through the story.
Final Verdict
Redux Redux is definitely interesting. The story itself is great, even though the writing was at times a bit clumsy. Had I not expected this movie to be a horror, as it was listed on IMDb, I would've enjoyed it much more. But thanks to the wrong approach at listing the genres, I was expecting too much, and the movie definitely left a lot to be desired. With that being said, it's not a bad movie; it's just not what one expects after reading the summary. High ambitions are definitely admirable, but when one doesn't back them up with effort and actions, they end up with something that feels like a hurried project.
Is this movie for you? Sure, if you lower your expectations or you don't have any previous knowledge of what it should be. It's an okay sci-fi thriller with a fresh idea, but it was deflated by trying to cram it into molds that don't fit.
Rating: 🕯️🕯️
It gets a 2/5 because even though it passes as a sci-fi thriller, it promised a lot more, and it didn't deliver. I was expecting horror elements to be sprinkled throughout the story, but I didn't see any. As I mentioned before, the movie overpromised and underperformed. Originally, I was planning on rating it 1/5, but after careful consideration, I decided that the actors and the plot itself deserve a slightly higher rating. Sad to say, if disappointment were a movie, it would be Redux Redux.
If you want to get a glimpse of it, you will find the trailer below:
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