Amazingly well done. An excellent example of what genuine quality writing and story telling can do, without having to rely on big budget CGI and cliché' gimmicks.
The premise of the film is not at all implausible, and much of the precursor elements that are the core criteria of this story are readily observable in current times.
If anything, this darkish glimpse into a foreboding near future realm may be a bit too realistic for some, who are already keenly aware of these precursor elements in their current form.
Stylistically, it does have some hints of the original Blade Runner tone to it, though not nearly as far into the future realm that BR portrays. The premise of Ares is much more gritty, down to earth, immersed into the frailties and challenges of the human condition, extruded through the mandrill of a dystopian near future world of crushing economic disparity mapped against corporate intrigues and corruption with a particularly ironic twist, the relevancy of which becomes immediately apparent within the first few minutes of the film.
This is one of those productions which could have turned out very badly, if mishandled with clumsy direction or cheesy cardboard characters, which has become all too common in typical Hollywood productions.
Thankfully, however, this is not one of those examples, but rather a refreshingly rare example to the contrary.
Aside from a couple of minor plot holes, which the viewer can discover for themselves, I give this production a very solid 9 out of 10 stars.
