Director Carlos Boellinger’s futuristic thriller “Clay’s Redemption” is long on atmosphere but short on story. At just 76 minutes, the film's brisk pace and stylish visuals may hold viewer interest also make the incomprehensible plot more glaring.
The opening titles provide the backstory, explaining that a handful of immortals live secretly among the rest of humanity. These “gods” do battle with “demons” from the old world who have been “summoned to feed on their souls.” The only hope of the gods to escape the demons are “Sleeve Walkers,” ex-convicts who have the power to inhabit the bodies of others and who possess codes that glow with information embedded into their inner arms.
The story centers on Clay (Akie Kotabe), an ex-convict who has serves his time as a Sleeve Walker and is eager to “exit” which is the deal. But just when Clay thinks he’s out, his superiors pull him back in and force him to undertake one more mission. The convoluted action doesn’t explain the urgency of why Clay must undertake this mission; there’s not much in the way of motivation or in details about the origins of the war between the forces of good and evil. It doesn’t help that the various characters are not developed beyond their immortal or demon status. Characters spend a lot of time in flight or in pursuit down London’s alley ways and vacant streets at night but the why is pretty much left to speculation.
“Clay’s Redemption” boasts some strong visuals. The London rain soaked streets and shimmering neon are reminiscent of “Blade Runner” but even futuristic noir needs a compelling story and colorful characters. Otherwise, it’s more of an action packed video game or a slick music video — plenty of style but not much substance.