Mike Pondsmith made a bold move when he named his groundbreaking tabletop RPG after the subgenre it occupied.Cyberpunkisn’t the first example of its tropes, but it remains one of the best.Cyberpunk 2077elevated the concept through decades of new development and, after a shaky start, emerged as one of the fanbase’s favorite outings. Though cyberpunk is a broad subgenre, its devotees recognize thousands of similar elements across its endless outings. A film likeNemesis,released four years after the first version ofCyberpunk, will find many familiar traits.
The late, great Albert Pyun defined a sort ofhigh-concept B-moviethat the world will always be worse without. His low-budget films forever changed the lives of thousands of video rental store customers, some of whom internalized his unique aesthetic. Pyun gained notoriety as an early voice in cyberpunk cinema, with entries like theCyborgfranchise and his shockingly long-runningNemesisseries.
Runtime
95 Minutes
Nemesisfollows Alex Rain, a hired killer for the LAPD who tracks and executes cybernetically enhanced criminals. During a routine job, Alex suffers near-fatal injuries in an overwhelming ambush by the Hammerheads,a cyborg terror group. His handlers drag what’s left of him into a doctor’s office for several months of reconstructive cybernetic surgery. Despite going in with more than 85% of his original body parts, Alex emerges with a near-complete overhaul of his biology. Alex promptly quits the LAPD to start a life of solitude and become a freelance gunslinger. Alex’s boss, Commissioner Farnsworth, kidnaps Alex for one last job. Farnsworth explains that Alex’s former lover, Jared, plans to leak confidential security information to the terrorists who nearly killed Alex. Alex has three days to stop the transfer and save the upcoming peace conference between theJapanese and American governments. Farnsworth further reveals that Alex’s last round of cybernetic enhancement included a remote-control explosive that will kill him if he fails.
Alex travels to Java, an island off the coast of Indonesia, and begins his hunt for his old flame. His quest hits several snags as cybernetically enhanced warriors stop him at every turn. Alex encounters Julian, a cyborg working with Jared, who drops a bomb on the jaded ex-cop. Jared’s body died in combat, leavingbehind only a memory driveof her personality and experiences. Julian explains that the Hammerheads' mission is to save humanity from an advanced android already embedded in several high-profile positions. Farnsworth is one of the functionaries replaced by the new potential AI overlord, and he sent Alex to kill Jared before she could threaten their plans. Julian removes a surveillance device from Alex’s eye and outfits his heart with a jammer, preventing or delaying a remote detonation. Armed with knowledge and partnered with a young Hammerhead scouter, Max sets out to defeat the hidden threat.
Countless Cyberpunk genre tropes
The main character carries another character’s consciousness inside them
Fast-paced shooting action in urban environments
Plot concerning the rights of cyborgs
The ending involves choosing to sacrifice a key character
Cyberpunk 2077lives up to its name with a plentiful selection of tropes from the titular subgenre. Almost any work of cyberpunk fiction will find common groundin CD Projekt Red’s beloved title.Nemesisshares connective tissue through the same pool of references, but there are callbacks in the fine details.Cyberpunk 2077focuses primarily on V, who carries the engram of Johnny Silverhand, a deceased terrorist seeking to uproot the established order.Nemesisfollows Alex, who carries Jared’s digital memory core. Jared, too, is a cybernetically enhanced freedom fighter carrying information and abilities to fight the power. The biggest difference is in tone.Nemesisdoesn’t reach the same anarchic highs asCyberpunk, instead fighting a more general evil android. While the LAPD are still framed as villains, the machines bear most of the blame. Still, the action evokes some groundedelements ofCyberpunk’s combat.
Critical reception forNemesis
Nemesishas a 71% positive rating from sevencritics on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were less kind, slapping it with a 41% positive rating from more than 1,000 amateurs. Most critics ignored the film when it came out, leaving little footprint of contemporary critique. Instead, modern viewers appreciate the B-movie aesthetic and goofy action set pieces. Pyun’s work frequently earns these late reevaluations.
Nemesisis a fun sci-fi thriller with a bizarre premise thatCyberpunk 2077coincidentally shares. Their commonalities mostly live in the shared subgenre. Any cyberpunk film will share some elements with the beloved franchise.Nemesisisavailable on Tubi for free. It’s a fun watch well worth the brief runtime. Albert Pyun’s filmography deserves a look back, andCyberpunk 2077fans are the perfect audience.
