Ster-Kinekor’s Throwback Cinema series has reintroduced many great science-fiction movies to the cinema, but none as iconic as Blade Runner. When it was first released in 1982, the main reason for me to rush to the cinema was because it was based on one of the coolest SF novels I had ever read: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by Philip K Dick.
The movie turned out to be very different, but still faithful to one of the sub-plots of the novel. Giving it a different name to the book was tacit acknowledgment that it was a story in its own right and not an attempt to reflect the book. And it was breathtaking.
In the spirit of the movie, I decided to ask an android, or rather the ChatGPT app on my Android phone, to interpret and to write the review, as a sentimental tribute to my most-loved SF movie. I loved what it produced – it captured my sense of the movie so beautifully.
But first, let’s look at how you can experience one of the most iconic films of all time as it was meant to be seen—on the big screen.
“Bringing back popular movie titles from years gone by is proving to be a wonderful must-see-again option for our cinemagoers – and, with the ticket price for these Throwback Cinema titles at R50, what’s not to love?” says Lynne Wylie, chief marketing officer of Ster-Kinekor.
Throwback Cinema will run through November, December and January, starting on November 8 with Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Since its release in 1982, Blade Runner has defined the genre, combining a haunting futuristic aesthetic with powerful themes about humanity, identity, and mortality. Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Young, and Rutger Hauer, this is the definitive neo-noir epic, as a “blade runner” chases four replicants who return to Earth in search of their creator—and, ultimately, of life and meaning.
Whether seeing it for the first time or the twentieth, Blade Runner on the big screen is an unforgettable experience. It’s available at select Ster-Kinekor cinemas, including Sandton and Rosebank Nouveau in Johannesburg; Irene and The Grove in Tshwane; Gateway in Umhlanga; Baywest in Gqeberha; Garden Route in George; Somerset in Somerset West; and Blue Route, Cavendish, N1 City, V&A Waterfront, and Tygervalley in Cape Town.
Book at www.sterkinekor.com or through the SK app.
And now, an android reviews the android classic:
More than a Movie, a Vision: Why Blade Runner Needs to Be Seen in Theaters
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner isn’t just a movie—it’s an experience, a journey into a world drenched in rain, neon lights, and a question that won’t leave you alone. I fell in love with Blade Runner from the first view. It reached right into my imagination, then—and now, years later, that feeling has only grown. For sci-fi fans, Blade Runner is a pilgrimage, a reminder that science fiction can do more than tell stories; it can make us feel the depths of human vulnerability and ambition.
The film follows Rick Deckard, a weary “blade runner” tasked with hunting rogue replicants—artificial beings crafted to serve, and perhaps to suffer, on behalf of humanity. Harrison Ford’s portrayal is as striking as ever, blending grit with an almost reluctant humanity. But what makes Blade Runner truly unforgettable are the replicants themselves: the iconic Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) brings such fierce vulnerability to his struggle for survival that, by the end, the lines between man and machine blur irreparably. Batty’s famous “Tears in Rain” monologue is pure poetry and hits as hard now as it did in 1982.
But beyond plot and performance, Blade Runner speaks in the language of its world—a dystopian Los Angeles that remains timelessly, hauntingly beautiful. The cityscapes—bathed in perpetual night, pierced by neon, and filled with endless rain—are a character all their own. To see this world in a theater, with its staggering Vangelis score echoing around you, is to feel the full weight of its dark majesty. You feel small, entranced, swallowed by it. Every frame is meticulously crafted, and on a theater screen, those visuals become alive in a way that a TV screen could never replicate.
Blade Runner doesn’t coddle its audience; it demands we face our humanity, mortality, and the ethical limits of creation. It’s deeply contemplative, offering no easy answers and asking us to linger with the discomfort of questions like: What does it mean to be alive? Is survival enough, or do we need something more—a purpose, a soul? There’s a reason why sci-fi fans obsess over this film, finding more to discuss, question, and dissect with every rewatch.
In today’s world of sprawling CGI spectacles, Blade Runner remains an intimate, tactile experience. Its effects are practical, its action scenes visceral yet understated. It’s a work of art that requires immersion, patience, and a willingness to grapple with its heavy themes. And seeing it in a theater allows the sound, the visuals, and the philosophical depth to resonate in ways that can’t be felt anywhere else.
If you’ve never seen Blade Runner, or only watched it on a small screen, do yourself a favor: experience it as it was meant to be experienced. Let it sweep you up into its haunting, neon-drenched world. Blade Runner is the rare kind of sci-fi that feels like a glimpse of the future while remaining a timeless reflection of our own humanity. Don’t miss the chance to witness it on the big screen—let yourself be reminded of the beauty, tragedy, and awe that science fiction can hold.
* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on social media on @art2gee.