Two more unusual offerings from Neill Blomkamp…

Inspired by the work of artist Jakub Różalski, Gdansk is an odd one. It starts out following a peasant facing down a group of knights, including a giant. It goes exactly how you expect. The effects again, are amazing but that’s all there is. As a technology demonstrator, this is fascinating. As a story, this isn’t a story. It’s an incident.

It’s understandable then that Netflix have packaged Gdansk with Praetoria, another short movie that’s essentially one part technology demonstrator, one part tone poem. Suddenly, the title card hits and you’re standing in a colossal underground silo, looking at a knight in armour. It becomes obvious this is the future and the knight is pacing, tormented, his armour shivering and shifting around him. We hear voices of the dead, damning him, claiming he’ll never be free of what he did.

It’s a great physical performance and I wish I could find who it is; series standby Toby Hargraves is credited as the giant but when the visor lifts on the general it isn’t him, at least visually. Nonetheless, it’s impressive work and hints at a connection, metaphorical or real to the giant.

The only problem is, again, that’s all it does. This is a sketch, a snippet, albeit a very good one.

Verdict: Both Gdansk and Praetoria are good but they’re also the most in need of extra space to grow and be explored.

Gdansk: 7 / Praetoria: 8

Alasdair Stuart