“Redux Redux” follows Irene Kelly, who puts her humanity in jeopardy by traveling through parallel universes to kill the murderer of her daughter over and over again.
A Brutal, Gripping Start
The film wastes no time jumping directly into its premise, with the title card appearing almost instantaneously over a visually stunning yet horrific image. “Redux Redux” doesn’t stop there, launching into an array of bloody – and familiar – acts of violence.
Quickly falling into a pattern, “Redux Redux” grows repetitive… fast. But this is by design. And it’s short-lived. By the five-minute mark, the audience is already made aware of the central character’s intentions.
It’s because of this that the movie works from the start. It’s snappy. Unique. Even angry. All while maintaining a sense of mystery beneath the surface.
After its fast-paced opening, “Redux Redux” slows down to explain its time-jumping plot. It does so through an exposition-heavy approach. Because Irene has nothing tying her to one timeline, she feels comfortable explaining what she’s doing before simply jumping to the next reality.
This gives the film an excuse to let her share more than she normally could in a “real-world” scenario. With the sci-fi twist, she has more stories to tell and more ways to tell them without derailing her objective.
When the Multiverse Over-Explains
All of this culminates in the film’s biggest issue: It doesn’t always trust its audience. After a seemingly complex beginning, “Redux Redux” starts to over-explain its mechanics.
With the addition of a new central character, the film uses her as a vessel to deliver missing information. This creates a cycle of dialogue that leans more toward telling than showing.
In some ways, “Redux Redux” also softens its own core concept. Through various side quests, the story drifts away from the brutality central to its identity. What begins as a gritty revenge saga gradually morphs into something closer to a buddy dynamic, losing some of its sharp edge as the 107-minute runtime progresses.
Grief Across Timelines
“When you lose a child, people say you go numb. But you don’t go numb. They put that word in your mouth. You go paralyzed.”
At its core, “Redux Redux” is a revenge thriller with purpose. Even when it momentarily loses focus, the film remains grounded in grief. With a multidimensional twist, writer-directors Kevin and Matthew McManus channel that emotion across timelines, creating a strong metaphor for the never-ending cycle of loss.
The performances elevate this emotional throughline, especially Michaela McManus as Irene. She captures both the character’s inner rage and her silent sorrow. It’s a versatile performance, with her delivery constantly shifting. Playing someone who has seen everything yet feels nothing isn’t easy, but McManus makes Irene feel fully formed.
Stella Marcus (Mia) also succeeds, just in a different way. Her snarky and energetic performance balances against McManus’ heaviness, giving the film a contrasting dynamic.
While audiences are used to seeing the multiverse explored in big-budget superhero spectacles, “Redux Redux” is not that. It’s a grounded take on the concept. There are no overwhelming CGI showcases, but the visuals still create an intimate atmosphere. Director of photography Alan Gwizdowski makes small moments feel large, from burning flames to subtle visual distortions as timelines shift.
It’s not overly complicated, nor should it be. “Redux Redux” brings emotion to the multiverse in grounded fashion. The story may lose focus at times, but the overall message lands firmly in any timeline.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
