So Unreal is a 2023 documentary film from writer/director Amanda Kramer (Paris Window, Give Me Pity! and By Design) that looks at technological advancements through the lens of sci-fi cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. Narrated by Blondie legend, Debbie Harry (Videodrome,  Hairspray and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie) it takes a look at where filmmakers' anxieties and neuroses lay in the 1980s and 90s as these technological developments became ever more chillingly real. 

So Unreal is an excellent documentary looking at the relationship between the paranoia and fear surrounding the technological advancements that have since become a huge part of our reality, artificial intelligence, cyberspace, cybernetics, smart technology and virtual reality and our fears as humans, of anything that we either don’t fully understand or see as hugely problematic for our continued existence. 

We as humans have dealt with these irrational fears by creating music and film that highlight our anxieties as a race. As well as looking at box office big hitters like The Matrix, Tron, and Terminator 2, Kramer’s documentary takes in cult classics like Blade Runner, Videodrome, Existenz, Lawnmower Man and Tetsuo – The Iron Man as well as looking at some of the forgotten titles like Brainstorm, Ghost in the Machine and Electric Dreams which have proved somewhat prophetic at times. 

The documentary itself gives the feel of being an AI-generated film, with Debbie Harry’s disembodied voice providing the perfect narration for such a film. It also feels really crucial to the film’s integrity to have the star of one of the movies featured (Videodrome) as its narrator. Besides this, Kramer has produced a very enjoyable piece of film with some interesting insights into a host of films that I am already familiar, as well as a few that I am not so well-versed in. In hindsight, it’s interesting to look back at this period in cinematic history and see how much of what these filmmakers were predicting has come to pass. Whether that is David Cronenberg’s twin VR-fuelled nightmares, Videodrome and Existenz, where technology merges with the organic to terrifying effect, the Wachowski’s revolutionary, The Matrix trilogy or even Ridley Scott’s anxieties about androids that can be seen in both, the slightly earlier Alien and more relevant for this film, Blade Runner. 

Overall, So Unreal was a really enjoyable documentary that blends elements of science fiction with science fact. Looking particularly at the films of the 1980s and 90s and analysing just how relevant their fears and anxieties have become to us in the 21st Century.

This new blu-ray release from Altered Innocence looks good and features a wealth of bonus materials including, an audio commentary from writer/director/producers Amanda Kramer, writer Britt Brown, editor/producer Benjamin Shearn and executive producer Brian Miller, a conversation between Kramer and Debbie Harry, a 92 minute documentary, SILK about the record company who produced much of the music used in the film an isolated score and the usual trailers and TV spots.

If you’re a fan of the sort of movies mentioned or have an interest in technological advancements and the anxieties/paranoia that surround them, then So Unreal is a documentary that should be of interest to you.