8) Duncan Jones Knows Sci-Fi
Mute is not Jones’ first foray into the realm of science fiction. Before he took on the seemingly impossible task of directing a video game adaptation, he demonstrated his talent for sci-fi not once, but twice.
Jones’ first feature film, Moon, was met with praise from both critics and audiences, eventually leading to well-deserved cult status. The overwhelmingly positive reception (currently at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes) led to Jones directing Source Code, his second feature with a sci-fi bent. Garnering an equally enthusiastic response from critics (it actually sits even higher on RT), Source Code confirmed that Moon was certainly no fluke.
Both films successfully pay tribute to multiple sci-fi classics. including 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien to name a few, whilst still managing to feel completely unique. Jones’ talent with the genre is evident throughout these efforts, with Moon achieving so much with so little and Source Code reinvigorating the trite, body-swapping thriller that the synopsis suggests.
These movies demonstrate his obvious love and respect for the genre and all evidence suggests that this will carry over into Mute.