No Resistance is the story of Dij (David Rains) an ex-military addict working as a freelance cybercriminal. Using his shoulder-slung computer he sells drugs, hacks financial systems, and erases his sister’s phone bill. Dij lives in near-future Houston where a police state is in control while government and financial systems are collapsing. Naturally, someone like Dij sees more opportunity than most. His contact is Waldo (Irving Cutter IV) whose dark shades and suit make him look like a proto Agent Smith from The Matrix.
The two meet in a bleak Chinese restaurant where Dij downs condiment packets while complaining about his awful clients. Waldo informs the hacker that his services are becoming more bankable than ever thanks to the oil war in Russia. He tells Dij of the next job that could land him his own “private redhead” along with medical benefits and a pension (ya know the good things in life). What seems like a typical computer virus handoff turns ugly when rival gangs vie for control of it leaving Dij stuck in the middle.
Like most sci-fi of the early 90s, No Resistance supposes a near future with cyber warfare, digital drug dealing, and apocalyptic landscapes filled with outlandish gangs seeking control. Here those ideas are successfully combined before the onslaught of late-night cable fare hoping to cash in on cheap effects and silly gadgets. Thomson cites the first influence was to adapt the 30’s detective novel Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett which famously influenced Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars. Adding in some William Gibson, skate culture, and the industrial noise scene allowed the feature to tear at authority from a genuine punk perspective.
I appreciate the vibe here following this fatalist punk as he squirms through life. Dij narrowly avoids death by weaseling his way out of gang shootings and sleazy underworld deals by the skin of his teeth. The world created here is that sweet spot where digital culture was still stuck in an analogue world. From the dirty hardware to the green MS-DOS UI text, I love everything going on here to predict future tech. Like the thrift store props, the performances are raw yet committed. David Rains adds manic energy to Dij making the cyberjunkie bounce through scenes with an unhinged manner. He is every anti-authority skater you knew in the 90s reading Thrasher.
Guerilla filmmaking tactics were easy in Houston as the limited crew and consumer-grade camcorder allowed them to shoot around town without drawing notice. The dilapidated industrial parks and cold office buildings used to provide excellent settings for the near future Houston. Thankfully this Lo-fi aesthetic hides the limitations of the filmmaking. I’d double feature this one with the dated yet highly entertaining Hackers or my favorite Sandra Bullock flick, The Net.
Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
No Resistance lands on Blu-ray thanks to Saturn’s Core. The film is housed in a transparent keepcase with double-sided artwork. Loading the disc presents Saturn’s Core logo before landing on the Main Menu screen with stylized scenes from the film playing adjacent to the navigation options.
No Resistance arrives on Blu-ray in an AVC-encoded 1080p HD image presented in the film’s original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Shot on a single Magnavox S-VHS camera the film is raw and unfiltered but showcases a bright color palette with strong black levels. You’ll first notice the rounded curves of the image thanks to the camera’s wide-angle lens adapter peeking through the corners. Initially, this spherical image is distracting but soon it transforms the film into a twisted POV look that makes No Resistance feel dangerous.
Colors are surprisingly vivid with Dij’s pink hair and green army coat popping through the image. Some detail is evident within costuming and facial features in closeup. Analogue fuzz is prominent but rarely overpowers the image. Black levels are deep within interior shots which look fantastic considering the natural lighting and technical limitations. Outdoor and nighttime scenes lose detail and become quite fuzzy as expected. Typically technical limitations can hinder a production’s look but No Resistance harnesses the gritty lo-fi elements to its advantage.
No Resistance avoids deletion with a respectable DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio track. The mix offers a pleasing near-future listening experience with dialogue exchanges clearer than expected though still hampered by technical limitations. Music tracks pump continuously with industrial rock, metal, and grungy synth ramping up the experience constantly. In-camera effects are dodgy but still achieve their intended purpose.
Saturn’s Core provides a wealth of bonus feature for this disc. Check out the commentary track and director interview then move through the insane music videos before rewatching with the isolated score.
The cyberpunk thriller No Resistance is an ambitious SOV effort that smartly uses its technical limitations to its advantage. Utilizing guerilla-style tactics, a thrift store prop supply, and one hell of a lead performance, the film is a perfect mix of grunge and techno-thriller. Saturn’s Core releases the film on Blu-ray with a respectable A/V package given the film’s pedigree. Fans will undoubtedly enjoy the bevy of special features included with this release. Recommended.
Portions of this review also appear in our coverage of Dunkirk on Blu-ray. This post features unique Vital Disc Stats, Video, and Final Thoughts sections.
