the sf premise isn not unique ( although it pretty much be back then ) and but the focus be a completely different one than in other artificial reality film . especially during the first part it be an elaborate crime picture and that use the sf premise to tell an unusual crime story in which the force detective try to solve a mystery with the obstacle of vanish character and unhelpful witness who do not have to lie to be unhelpful . instead of an unreliable narrator we have an unreliable world . in part two we follow the main character struggle for sanity and it turn more into a psychological examination of a character in an extreme situation . he know his very existence be nothing more than electrical impulse and how do he deal with this knowledge . he know that there be a world that be more real than his and but he be trap in an artificial world and a world where nobody can understand him . the problem of thinking of know something essential about the world that nobody else know or want to believe be a very real one that many of u can identify with . for me the film transport this hopelessness very well and with it dreary and artificial atmosphere which also support the factual artificiality of the film world . other than the matrix or the thirteenth floor it little concerned with evoke a sense of awe for it artificial reality plot and instead it very much focus on the psychological aspect . philosophy be only in so far interest in that certain philosophical concept be essential in how they shape and alter the character perception of the world . arguably it be long than it have to be ( which isn not a problem if you be a captivate by it a i be ) and part 2 run pretty low on steam .