More Human Than Human: Get Ready for Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner remains one of the most evocative movies ever made. When I watched it, I was struck by how real everything felt, like I was really looking into the future. It's a little jarring to realize that it took place in 2019. That's only two years away!

Philip K. Dick and Ridley Scott's neo-noir vision of androids that blur the lines between humanity and robotics has had a huge influence on science fiction. Here are some movies with similar themes to help you get ready for Blade Runner 2049, out in theaters this week. 

I, Robot is a collection of short stories centered around Isaac Asimov's Rules of Robotics. The 2004 movie I, Robot covers much of the same ground. Will Smith plays a detective, Del Spooner, who seriously hates robots. He's assigned a murder allegedly committed by an android. And of course, this android, Sonny, can't hurt anyone. It's against his programming. But Sonny's also having emotions and dreams, and lots of other things that a robot shouldn't have. It's up to Spooner to figure out what's going on. 

Who wouldn't love a weekend retreat with an enigmatic boss? Caleb wins a contest and gets quality time with the genius CEO of his company. But what he doesn't know is that the weekend is actually a test for a sophisticated artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful woman. Does the artificial intelligence qualify as human? Will Caleb be able to tell? Watch Ex Machina to find out.

Westworld is part of the ultimate amusement park, with the tagline "Boy, have we got a vacation for you!" It's a playground based on the Wild West, where you can interact with lifelike androids, indistinguishable from humans. Unfortunately, androids can get viruses, and when Westworld goes haywire, a fun trip becomes a fight for survival. The recent HBO series Westworld explores these themes even further.

All David wants is love. It's what he's programmed for! But his human mother finds it hard to love an android, even an extremely realistic one. In the dystopian future predicted by A.I. Artificial Intelligence, David goes on a harrowing journey to learn what it takes to become a real boy.

I can't wait to see what Ryan Gosling adds to an already entertaining universe. How do you feel about the Blade Runner sequel? Is Deckard a human or a Replicant? Let me know what you think!