
A group of outlaws led by Porter (Laura Holloway) finds their hideout discovered by security forces and, following a struggle in which one of their number is critically injured, they must decide whether or not to make their escape or make a stand and defend their fellow criminal. As increasing numbers of law enforcers descend on their no longer safe house, they’re about to make a shocking discovery about their situation…
It’s dystopian future time once more, but anyone bracing themselves for the expected dose of the unrelenting doom the subgenre often provides may find themselves cheered by Danny Domes’ comedic mix of siege thriller and media satire, populated by a group of characters well suited to a video game, including tech boffin Cipher (Allison Shrum), gun aficionado Brick (Ted Welch), teenage dream, martial arts arse-kicker Fera (Quinnlan Ashe) and naïve rookie Kinder (Schyler Tillett).
The video game comparisons are well suited to the overall structure of the plot, with wave after wave of the titular attackers providing fresh challenges to our anti-heroes. The clone cops themselves are highly amusing, all based on one particular specimen and prone to having action pausing, friendly chats with both their duplicates and their intended quarry. The shootouts and fights are also broken up with updates from two insufferably jolly cyberspace personalities and ads for a new, disgusting sounding flavour of gin.
As usual, its outlaws going up against big business – this time an all-powerful organisation going by the name of Nefaricorp. Their US operation is, therefore, known as NefariUS. Geddit? If this level of humour is going to get you groaning, there’s plenty more where that came from, but smarter laughs are also on offer. Also, the fun is occasionally offset by a handful of bonafide hits to the feels and a pleasing twist, which sends the tale in a different direction and ups the stakes for the main protagonists.
Of course, not wishing to divulge the plot swerve does leave my hands tied in terms of specific sequences to look out for, but the various strands of story, though verging on the episodic, remain broadly engaging. For instance, the antics of expert clone manufacturer “One Tank” Frank (Henry Haggard) are often chucklesome, even if the emphasis on an overload of wackiness in the lab-set scenes may have you craving more straightforward, straight-faced thumping of enemies courtesy of the perma-dour Fera.
Yes, trappings such as the limited number of settings, some extended, dialogue heavy takes and digitally created blood and muzzle flashes mark Clone Cops as a low budget affair, but the care and attention shown is evident across the entire runtime, with canny costume choices and excellent production design which lends the film rewatchability in terms of the numerous screen layouts featured throughout. Those inescapable scrolling comments may not have the bite of say, Deadstream, but cover the variety of types splattering the socials, like Outraged Oliver who shows up early on with a ready complaint for every different incident.
Clone Cops may take aim at familiar targets such as online culture, crime shows and the appetite of corporate marketing departments when it comes to transforming anything into a quick buck, but its main purpose is to entertain rather than bury its viewer under a heap of heavy messaging. The promotional push for a series of Hit Squad figures and their battle buggy – and subsequent issues caused by the Hit Squad making their supposedly grand appearance – sums up much of the movie itself, confident enough to make potentially massive set-pieces into daft, throwaway gags so it can progress to its next idea. Not all of it lands, but the willingness to stave off any lag in the proceedings by throwing another concept into the sauce (you’ll understand when you watch the film) keeps the mix simmering until the climactic showdown – which includes a hummable tune and a spot of dancing.
Sticking to Nefaricorp’s guiding principles of constructing a Replican rather than a Replican’t, Clone Cops is the indie antithesis of the rainy, grey, washed out melancholy of Blade Runner, delivering a brightly coloured burst of sci-fi lite that may not lean as hard enough into its many concepts as it should, but nonetheless delivers an amusing take on recognisable tropes while giving the viewer a serviceable adventure yarn, boosted by appealing performances from Shrum and Ashe.
Clone Cops hit VOD on January 31st 2025.