Movie Review: Gattaca (1997)

★★★★★

Gattaca really stuck with me, powerful, and a sharp look at how society defines our worth. Five stars and highly recommend it.

Brenda T.

Georgia

I didn’t fully appreciate Gattaca when I first saw it in the late '90s. At the time, I thought it looked cool, sure, but the slow pacing and muted tone didn’t match the laser guns and space battles I expected from a sci-fi movie. Rewatching it now, years later, I realize that Gattaca isn’t just science fiction; it’s a quiet rebellion. It's what happens when a genre known for spectacle chooses instead to whisper something profound about ambition, identity, and the cost of perfection.

If you’ve never seen the Gattaca movie, or it’s been a while, I highly recommend revisiting it. It’s not a film that shouts for your attention; it earns it.

Plot Overview: In a Future Where Perfection Is Engineered

The Gattaca movie takes place in a not-so-distant future where genetic engineering is the norm. Babies are no longer born; they’re designed. Society is split between “valids,” genetically enhanced individuals, and “in-valids,” those conceived naturally, with all the unpredictability of traditional biology.

Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is an invalid. Born with a heart condition and a projected lifespan of 30 years, he’s been told from the beginning that he’ll never amount to anything, certainly not an astronaut, his lifelong dream. But Vincent refuses to accept the path assigned to him. Instead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), a genetically perfect man who’s been paralyzed in an accident. Using Jerome’s DNA, Vincent infiltrates Gattaca, a prestigious space agency, and inches closer to achieving the impossible: space travel.

What Most Reviews Skip: The Quiet Horror of a “Perfect” Society

Most reviews of Gattaca talk about its themes of genetic discrimination, but what doesn’t get talked about enough is how emotionally oppressive this world is. This isn’t a society of tyranny or violence. It’s not 1984. It’s something more chilling, meritocracy gone too far. Everyone is calm, polite, beautifully dressed… and completely numb.

At Box Review, I love when science fiction explores emotional truths through futuristic setups, and Gattaca nails it. It imagines a world where your entire life is defined by a drop of blood or a strand of hair. There's no mystery, no potential, just a blueprint. And what’s terrifying is how plausible that feels today with the rise of genetic testing and AI-driven decision-making.

This film made me think less about science and more about how we define ourselves. It’s a quiet warning wrapped in a beautifully sterile world.

Ethan Hawke’s Performance: Understated, Unshakeable

Let’s give credit where it’s due: Ethan Hawke is the soul of this movie. His performance is restrained, just like the society he’s rebelling against, but the intensity is always there. You can see it in the way he walks, talks, and even breathes like someone who’s pretending to be calm while their heart is pounding out of their chest.

One of my favorite scenes in the entire Gattaca movie is when Vincent explains how he beat his genetically superior brother in a swimming contest. “I never saved anything for the swim back.” That line hits hard. It’s not just about effort, it’s about throwing yourself fully into the dream, consequences be damned.

That’s what makes Vincent’s story so powerful. He’s not just fighting the system; he’s betting everything on the belief that who we are is more than our genetic code.

Jude Law: The Tragedy of Being “Perfect”

While Hawke is the heart of the film, Jude Law delivers its soul. Jerome Morrow is genetically flawless, but emotionally shattered. A former swimming star whose accident left him paralyzed, Jerome is bitter, sarcastic, and quietly heartbroken. Watching him slowly unravel throughout the movie is just as impactful as Vincent’s rise.

What makes Jerome fascinating is that he represents the flip side of the genetic coin. He had every advantage—and still fell short. That’s the irony Gattaca explores so well. Perfection doesn’t guarantee happiness. It often makes failure feel even heavier.

The dynamic between Vincent and Jerome is my favorite part of the movie. It’s not just a partnership; it’s a co-dependency. One lends his identity, the other lends his will.

The Visuals: Minimalist and Timeless

One thing I didn’t appreciate enough during my first watch was how stunning Gattaca looks. It’s not flashy, it’s deliberate. The color palette is muted, mostly golds, blues, and greys. The architecture is retro-futuristic, with lots of clean lines, old-school cars, and sharp suits. It feels like the future imagined in the 1960s, and it works beautifully.

The cinematography by Slawomir Idziak gives the film an almost dreamlike quality. Shadows are long, hallways are endless, and everything feels just slightly out of reach. It matches the tone perfectly. This is a story about striving for something you were never meant to have.

Music That Moves You Quietly

Michael Nyman’s score is the unsung hero of Gattaca. It's haunting, elegant, and emotional in a way that creeps up on you. The main theme plays like a lullaby for the soul, simple, aching, and full of longing.

This isn’t bombastic music. It’s restrained and precise, like everything else in this world. But it’s also deeply human. When that score swells during the final scenes, it adds a whole layer of emotional weight you didn’t realize had been building all along.

Final Thoughts

Gattaca (1997) might be one of the most emotionally resonant science fiction films ever made. It doesn’t dazzle with effects or overwhelm with action. Instead, it whispers the terrifying question: “What if we lived in a world where your future was already written at birth?” And more importantly: “What if you refused to believe it?”

I’m always looking for films that age well, not just visually, but thematically. And Gattaca has only grown more relevant. In an age of algorithm-driven decisions and genetic testing kits, its quiet rebellion feels more necessary than ever.

So if you’re in the mood for a movie that makes you think and maybe even makes you feel seen, give Gattaca another shot. It’s not a loud film, but it says something big.