In 2020, Archive had the bad timing to arrive in the middle of the pandemic, which killed any chances it had of heading to theaters.
Regardless, this film has found a small cult audience in the streaming-verse, and Archive may break out even further now that it’s on Netflix.
This may not have been the original plan for Archive, but the February debut on its new streaming home is very appropriate.
That’s because Archive is going to fit right in with the romance movies the streamer added for Valentine’s Day, just not in the way you might expect.
‘Archive’ Is Part Sci-Fi, Part Love Story
Theo James leads the cast of Archive as George Almore, and he’s a man who’s in a great deal of pain. His wife, Jules Almore (Stacy Martin), is dead, and he’s doing everything possible to keep her memory alive. The Archive in the film’s title is a recreation of Jules’ mind that can be temporarily accessed so George can take his time saying goodbye to her. That would be an interesting idea for a film on its own.
The film opts for an even harder turn into science fiction as George attempts to break the rules and permanently preserve his wife’s memory in the body of an android, J3 (Martin). It’s never been done before, and George is making some new enemies along the way for even making the attempt. But he’ll do anything for love, even if it means breaking the laws of men and nature.
The Film’s Practical Robot Effects Makes the Droids Feel Real
Archive didn’t have a large budget to work with, so the robots in the film were achieved through practical effects. In the case of J3, Martin had layers and layers of makeup and prosthetics to bring her android to life. When Martin is fully in costume as J3, she’s arguably the film’s greatest special effect. Just being able to see her face emote and show emotions does wonders to humanize J3.
Martin also lends her voice to J2, the clunky robot that was the predecessor of J3. The clunky design of J2 feels like a throwback to the humans in robot suits from classic sci-fi films. But there’s something universally human about a person in a robot suit that just makes the androids feel more alive. Creating the same illusion of life with a CGI character would have been more difficult. J2 feels like it/she is really present, and surprisingly, this is the robot that you may feel the most for. J2 knows that George wants to move on to another model, and whatever heart it/she has is broken because of it.
Theo James and Stacy Martin Give Powerful Performances
Stacy Martin and Theo James in Archive. Vertical Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection
This film wouldn’t work without the committed performances of James and Martin. The latter is only seen sparingly as Jules, the woman that George just can’t let go of. Their bond is the thing that gives Archive its emotional resonance. They’ve already gone through one tragedy, and now a second may be on their doorstep if George can’t successfully bring about a digital resurrection for Jules.
There are some other twists, which we won’t spoil here. But there’s enough going on that you tear up when the film’s closing credits roll.
Archive is streaming on Netflix.
