Boy7 is a Dutch foreign language film following the story of a teenage boy who wakes up on a subway train without any memory or any knowledge about who he is.
The film follows the main character, Sam, as he attempts to search for his identity by using the items in his backpack.
Boy7 puts the viewer through a thrilling and satisfying sci-fi journey.
It touches on a number of themes revolving around potential futuristic bio-technologies and ethics around human genetic manipulation.
Synopsis
As alluded to above, Boy7 follows the story of Sam, a boy who awakes on a train with a blank memory. As he sits on the train he is hit with a sense of panic and discovers that the police are chasing him. He meets a girl on his train named Lara who helps him escape from the cops. They hide out in an apartment and Sam can't seem to shake the feeling that he has met her before.
Through a series of flashbacks and spending time with Lara, he begins to realize they were friends who attended the same "school". And by school I mean a futuristic institution where youths are tested and experimented on.
The remainder of the film follows Sam and Lara as they decide what their next move is.
Do they run away to start a new life? Do they try to help the other "students" trapped at the school? Do they alert the police?
It's all up to them and the viewer gets to watch it all unfold.
Important Themes
Boy7 is a film which explores the blurred lines between futurology and ethics.
It highlights the technological advancements that we are currently having in the biomedical field as well as the leaps we have had in the medical industry with robotics.
The film speaks to these advancements and goes a step forward to proposing just how far some people and organizations may take it in the near future.
For example, in the past year alone scientists have made major breakthroughs with synthetic materials in the medical field. Scientists have now created a synthetic muscle which is capable of lifting 1000 times it's own weight.
Additionally, robotic technology has become more pronounced over the past year with scientists and engineers having extensively working on creating robots capable of high level learning and developing individual personalities. 2017 saw the rise of Sophia the Robot who has been paraded around social media and multiple new casts over the year.
More and more breakthroughs are happening in labs around the world and it is clear that there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon.
We are making quantum leaps with stem cell research, cell regeneration, disease prevention and CRISPER technology at the genetic level (and in some cases have laid down the foundation to manipulating chromosomes responsible for unwanted traits or cells that carry disease). And even now scientists can grow human organs in laboratory environments.
At the current rate human beings have developed technology, it is not entirely out of the question that the near future could take the form of what is seen in Boy7.
Conclusion
All things being said, Boy7 is an incredibly entertaining and thrilling film.
It is a standout Dutch film with superb acting. It depicts a potential future where technology and those with power and money can change ethical foundations across many scientific fields.
Boy7 is a prime example of a forward thinking film and begs to ask the question, how far is too far when it comes to the future of genetics and human testing.
By all means go ahead and add Boy7 to your watch list. It is a film that will have you glued to your seat and won't disappoint.
