An effective multiverse thriller….

I know what you’re thinking — another day, another film jumping on the multiverse bandwagon. But before you dismiss it as just another carbon copy — especially as it’s gone straight to rental — there’s something quite delightful about REDUX REDUX. The McManus brothers, who wrote and directed the film, have crafted a stripped-to-the-bone thriller that you simply won’t be able to take your eyes off once it begins.

From the off we are greeted to a woman standing next to a burning fire that seems innocent enough — until the camera pans out to reveal a body engulfed in flames, and she shows no emotion at what’s in front of her. It’s quickly revealed that the woman is Irene (Michaela McManus), a grieving mother — and the man on fire is someone she has killed countless times… and will continue to kill if it brings her peace.

Why? Because this man — Nelson (Jeremy Holm) is a murderer who, in her world, killed her 13-year-old daughter. Now, with the help of a time-travelling device hidden in the back of her camper van, Irene journeys across the multiverse, tracking down versions of him and punishing him for the pain he caused — all in the hope of eventually finding a world where her daughter is still alive.

That’s the hook — and it’s a strong one. How she came to possess the machine, and the finer details behind it, are never fully explained. Instead, the film leans into being a lean, mean revenge thriller, rather than getting bogged down in any timey-wimey nonsense — and it’s all the better for it.

Her life has become a simple routine: land on a new Earth, find fleeting comfort in the same one-night stand — a man unaware that she knows him far better than he realises — then hunt down the killer before moving on to relive the same day again in another world. But on one visit, things change rapidly when she discovers his next target: a young girl named Mia (Stella Marcus), tied up and in desperate need of help.

The dynamic shifts immediately when Irene saves Mia, who soon begins to piece together what’s really going on — and eventually wants in. For Irene, having a child to protect for the first time since losing her daughter forces her to question everything she’s been doing. With the killer still out there and the constant risk of exposure with every misstep, the film drives forward with tension seeping through every scene.

What’s on offer here isn’t entirely new, with echoes of LOOPER and PREDESTINATION throughout. But fans of those films — and the genre in general — will find plenty to enjoy. The emotional pull, and the desperate hope of seeing Irene — and later Mia — make it through, is genuinely compelling. REDUX REDUX could well be one of the most surprising sci-fi thrillers you’ll see this year.

3.5 Hatchets out of 5