Expired is a 2022 science fiction romantic thriller about a hitman who gets infected with a deadly disease after crossing the wrong people. Also known as Loveland
Written and directed by Ivan Sen (Goldstone; Mystery Road).
The Australian movie stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood; Dead Silence), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix; The Lord of the Rings franchise) and Jillian Nguyen.
Plot:
One day in the near future, hitman Jack crosses paths with a nightclub singer named April (Jillian Nguyen), and the two fall in love. However, the closer Jack gets to April, the faster his body begins mysteriously deteriorating. So, Jack decides to ask for the help of reclusive life extension scientist Doctor Bergman (Hugo Weaving), who reveals a mysterious artificial disease has infected the hitman.
In order to survive, Jack needs to keep his distance from April. Otherwise, he’ll be targeted by some powerful and dangerous people. The problem is that Jack feels his love for April is his last shot at connecting with humanity, so he decides to go after the people who infected him, uncovering the secrets of his own past…
Reviews:
“This beautifully shot, international film […] drips with film noir atmosphere. The film plays as a sci-fi version of D.O.A., the 1950, classic American film noir directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Edmond O’Brien, while run through a Jean-Luc Godard neo-noir Alphaville filter — more so than the usual Blade Runner comparisons…” B&S About Movies
” …the dialogue and narration are so full on that it becomes almost fourth-wall-breaking in its artifice, pulling the viewer out of the experience by reminding us of the film-making (in particular the writing) process. This unquestionably ambitious film works best as a mood piece: it’s big, bold, cerebral and intensely unsubtle.” 3/5 The Guardian
Background:
Hugo Weaving told Collider:
“I just loved the idea of this love story set in a near-future city. It’s basically about the loneliness that comes from being split up in a mechanized world, and the impossibility of love in a world where people are split apart and dependent on the machine. He’s [Sen] a great filmmaker and it’s a lovely idea. The greatest thing about sci-fi is that you can shine a light on the world in which you live now, even though it’s actually set somewhere in the future.”
Release date:
In the US, Expired was released theatrically in select locations and On-Demand on March 18th 2022.
Filming locations:
Brisbane, Australia
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Hong Kong
Macau, China
Trailer:
