Albert Pyun, a director who unfortunately was compared to infamous auteurs such as Ed Wood¹, stands out as his films deal with in-depth themes within cyberpunk settings reminiscent of Blade Runner with his B-Movie sensibilities. I believe his film Nemesis is the best of his work and shows some of his themes effectively. It deals with both the philosophical and socio-political aspects of a cyberpunk setting. What side does one choose when they are at war with each other? At what point is a human no longer a human? What drives someone, or something, to become a part of the elite, a grifter, or a freedom fighter, regardless of their identity? This will explore the Nemesis film series, where Pyun uses his distinct, B-Movie approach to successfully deliver a timeless approach to the philosophy and the socio-political angle of cyberpunk.

It Takes More Than Flesh and Blood to be Human, Alex.

Nemesis is what I believe to be an excellent example of not only Pyun’s work, but of both the science fiction and action genres of film. It has an incredibly in-depth use of politics and philosophy to its plot, yet one that is partially accessible enough for those who want engaging action sequences. To summarize it: imagine if John Woo did Blade Runner. This is what leaves me disappointed with the cinephile community. As it has the B-Movie style action sequences, fans of arthouse would brush this off, while the fans of B-Movie action films may be turned off by its ethereal atmosphere, and focus on the socio-political and philosophical aspects. However, I believe this is why the film succeeds; it is extremely rare to find a film that accomplishes both the visceral aspect of engaging action and thematic aspects that warrants discussion.

This film opens with Alex, a cyborg who works for the LAPD. He hunts down terrorists from The Red Army Hammerheads, and after an assassination, an action sequence follows that leaves him injured. It takes months for him to be repaired, and despite wanting to leave the field, he is forced to do another mission, to the point of them implanting a bomb in his heart that will blow up in a few days, where he must find his former partner Jared, an android who is now working for The Hammerheads. She is in Java and plans to give important information to The Hammerheads. As he reaches Java and begins his search for her, and from someone named Julian, a cyborg member of The Hammerheads, explains to him about their humanitarian cause, of saving humanity, and of the true intentions of the LAPD.

This does seem like a basic plot for an action film, yet one that is serviceable for the genre; however, it is the dialogue that makes this shine. Alex’s voice-over discusses what percentage of him is human or not, and the disconnect between his humanity, and his worry of completely losing it. As Jared said, “they might take out his soul, and replace it with some matrix chip.” At the opening action sequence, a member of The Hammerheads states that he is not human for helping the LAPD, while he says “86.5% is still human.” He is then unaware of how much humanity is left in him after the major repairs, but this is where the interesting aspect comes in.

He is mostly human yet helps the machines. When he is changed internally after the major repairs, he is a lot more reserved about helping the machines. In Java, he expresses disinterest in everything except doing the bare minimum, and when humans come to harass him about why he’s there, he just mentions he’s going to die soon since he has a bomb in his heart. He is going through an internal identity crisis, emphasized by the previous major repairs, and him not knowing how much of him is still human. When he learns of the truth of what the LAPD is doing, he decides to help them, regardless of his percentage of humanity.

Jared is an android, yet she helps the humans. As the film goes on, we realize that more members of the Hammerheads are cyborgs themselves. A fight for humanity where we are not even sure if humanity remains. This reminds me of the socio-political aspect of identity in our world. The LAPD and machines represent the totalitarian/machine elite, while the human Hammerheads are the minority freedom fighters. Alex could be seen as the “token” or the grifter, a man with a certain identity of a minority helping the totalitarian elite. On the other hand, Jared, who has no humanity at all, is helping the minorities, like someone who is part of the majority using their privilege. Her quote is quite apt: “It takes more than flesh and blood to be human, Alex.” In between this, there are the cyborgs, which is reminiscent of intersectionality. Although a human may be seen as the majority in the real world, there may be an aspect that makes them a minority, and it would be up to them to join with intersectionality to take down the elite. The concept is duplication is touched upon as well, as androids can place human consciousness and place them inside synthetic bodies. Does that body lead to a new identity? They could be seen as a politician selling out their entire ideology, thus resulting in a new identity. Aspects like this makes this film timeless.

Crucially, for a film so heavy on philosophical and socio-political themes, Nemesis still manages to engage the viewer viscerally, using compelling action sequences and its ethereal atmosphere. Right from the first action sequence it is simply top-notch. The camera knows how to move around the action sequences. He worked under Kurosawa’s cinematographer, Takao Saito, and learned that he has a canvas that the audience looks through, with multiple planes of existence. He realized that he is in full control of what they see. With this training, the best approach for action was being intimate in the close sequences yet still showing everything. The further shots involved Steadicam-like movement to ensure that the action is solely the focus. In terms of the stunt work and pyrotechnics, they are not shy in using everything in their power. A memorable sequence shows Alex spinning around while shooting the floor, falling through many floors via the newly blasted holes. It’s basically what The Matrix did, but a decade before in a B-Movie action film. The camerawork in that scene is even more impressive, as the shots involve a closeup of Alex’s face from below, and the view from above of his legs dropping, thus focusing a lot more on stunt work than in The Matrix. Afterwards, every action sequence seems like a penultimate one. One saved for the climax of the film; but then another comes in that raises the bar.

On the other end of the spectrum, the atmosphere is what drew me towards the film. The environments are a minor yet effective touch. The slow drawl of the way everyone talks, even in the voice-over, when they reach Java. The music is reminiscent of Coil, both with their industrial-based ambient soundscapes with a touch of new age synths, giving the atmosphere a boost. Add the fact that characters are nude due to the heat, and you can see every open pore and drop of sweat on the characters’ bodies. It’s one that doesn’t shy away from establishing how the setting should make you feel. The music score with the pacing of the dialogue complements each other. The simple yet perfect way to describe it: ethereal. One that I feel would be effective for even the most inebriated people watching it. It fits the theme into the man vs machine as well, as the sweat on the characters are even seen on the cyborgs themselves, representing that touch of humanity amongst them. There is still that organic discomfort of the environments despite their internalized identity.

Due to this combination, it is a film that engaged my senses. A film that I was able to feel what it was going for with its mood, and one that I was able to think about at the same time. It is a challenge for an arthouse film to achieve, such as a Tarkovsky film that aims for philosophical content while aiming for its slow-paced atmosphere. This is the other end of drawing in the viewer with an almost constant use of action in the second half yet is just as effective. It is a film that challenges the very notion of combining B-Movie form with arthouse-style content. One that only a few films show it co-existing, and which more cinephiles should watch with an open mind.

Look at All These Muscles!

When it comes to Pyun’s sequels, it’s a depressing yet fascinating case. With direct-to-video (DTV) films, regardless of genre, multi-film shoots, with minimal resources, and leftover footage are commonplace. Simple films sets are used as well, such as the Arizona desert and the abandoned mine in this film. He initially wanted to create one sequel, but it was padded out to three entries, leading to what can be described as an anti-film. Regardless of whether it was intended, the film’s effect is the same. A film reduced to such a level of minimalism, with an even more apparent, drugged-out atmosphere, that it reaches the point of existential exhaustion, a sort of Zen form.

What follows in Nemesis 2: Nebula is that Alex from the first entry is mentioned in the opening text, stating that years later he lost the battle of man vs machine, causing the humans to be enslaved. Eventually, someone is created with superhuman DNA and is meant to fight against the cyborgs. Think of it like John Connor in the Terminator films. Like the first entry, her name is also Alex. Despite being of a different background and time, the name Alex shows that it is a symbol. It is an inverse of the first entry, as Alex in the first film is 86.5% human according to his knowledge, while Alex in the sequels is purely human. As she was getting attacked as a baby, her and her mom travel back in time to escape an assignation attempt. They travel to a place before the Cyborgs came in (they omit the term android for the rest of the film) and end up in Africa. The mother is tragically killed by criminals, and a tribe takes the baby and raises her.

It starts out as a fascinating entry. The lead, played by Sue Price, a casting choice that is not standard for action films. She was a bodybuilder by profession, and because of her intense muscles, it works both as a more subversive aspect of the usually casting of woman action stars, and thematically as she is genetically enhanced. Her race also takes part in this film. Although she is white, there are discussions of her racial and gender identity, showing the aspects of intersectionality such as the first part, but before the man vs machine aspects of it. Some tribe members simply see her as a part of them. She is someone who has always lived with them, and fits right in. Others know of her origin, calling her “the one from the sky” and want her banished. Due to her build and her dreams, she wants to take the “man’s role” of the tribe, showing how despite this being a pre-cyborg time, she still has a different identity for race and gender. She ends up proving her worth in this aspect, completing the required test of killing a boar, and winning a duel against a tribe member who refuses to let her be a part of the tribe due to her identity.

At the same time, the Nebula, a cyborg, also uses a time transport to travel back in time to hunt her, just like a Terminator. What results is it killing the entire tribe, and it slowly tracking her down, leading to a chase scene. In a standard film, and what I assume was Pyun’s initial vision, this segment would have only lasted 10-15 minutes; however, as stated before, this had to be extended to three films. This results in the rest of the film being one long chase scene. Despite her even finding a few characters along the way, it is reduced to many quiet segments of her roaming through the landscapes, giving a sense of isolation of the setting despite what should be an action-heavy focus. It felt akin to the film The Shooting, an endless journey through landscapes that is reduced to existential dread. A pursuit that leads one to a meditative state.

There is an inconsistency regarding the Nebula as well. He is a cyborg, but one with an exoskeleton. The few moments of dialogue have him being very stilted, not unlike you would see with C3PO in Star Wars but also with no personality. The fascinating aspect of the first entry was the use of identity between the spectrum of human and android with the cyborgs between. In this case, it’s a cyborg, but one that is more of an android, but also a drone of one. One without the complexities. He’s simply a drone. With the war lost and humanity enslaved, there is no longer a purpose to “woo” the humans. Their instrument of control is now reduced to being functional instruments of oppression. The charismatic, marketable appeal can now be reduced into absolute authority. He is the silent executioner of authority. It’s helped emphasized by the amateur work of his suit. With its cheap material, obscured by dated CGI, it’s hardly a convincing of a cyborg due to the cheapness of the overall aesthetic. Any remnants of humanity is no longer needed.

The way the films are padded out means that they are practically reduced to an “anti-film”. A film where the standard structure of an action is gone. One that is bare bones in every aspect. They remind me of David DeCoteau’s 1313 film series, but are more intentional, and with the atmosphere still being a focus, thus resulting in its drugged-out atmosphere. The shots of the environments are hazy, and the music is reduced to drones, including the vocals. It is a Zen atmosphere of low-budget cyberpunk that strips away everything until the existential threat of humanity’s survival remains.

Cool Your Matrix.

Nemesis 3: Prey Harder falls into more minimalism that it is pushed into the realm of political stagnation. If Nebula is the existential chase sequence, Prey Harder is the existential time-loop, reduced to paralysis. The first 20 or so minutes feature her trying to wake up, leading to flashbacks of the first films with very loud transition sounds, presenting it in a hallucinatory manner. She then ends up near a jeep and talks to a duplicated cyborg from the first film. He tries to extract her DNA to complete his mission, but it becomes a failure. She then ends up doing a short battle segment, with the rest being inside of a warehouse with a few characters. The only sort of stakes involved are two twin cyborgs (who are also woman bodybuilders), with crop tops and hair that is reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s early career. Because of its ending, and the same use of the atmosphere and the score, it’s reduced to even more of a deconstruction of action films. Two films that are so underwhelming that they become overwhelming experiences, offering a fascinating example of cinematic minimalism and endurance, whether intended or not.

Very little happens in this through a plot perspective. It’s the beginning and ending where this truly shines. During the flashbacks Alex is in the desert, then after the segment with Farnsworth she finds herself walking, with a text saying, “22 hours earlier”, and the end of it is her back in the spot where she started in the beginning of the film. It’s a fascinating subtitle because of this. A time lapse is showing little happening at a fast speed. This fits the same scene of its implied time-loop-like ending but moves slowly. Characters are introduced en masse and disposed in a baffling matter.

The themes with the machines from part 2 remain. They are more advanced this time, yet still “off”, representing a veneer that is not fully humanized. There is an inconsistency with the cyborg Farnsworth 2. He has an exoskeleton, yet in the next shot will appear completely human. Sometimes there will be random cheap computer effects showing his inhumanity. There are moments where he seems to not be properly programmed. He points pistols at her in a threatening manner, yet he is aware that the guns are empty, and Alex is even aware of this, yet brushes it off as him “being strange”. He even asks her about his name, including the number 2, and she just says, “what a weird name”. Although the inconsistent shots may have been from a budget standpoint, it re-enforces a humanization, and political theme. The humanization aspect is there, reminiscent of the advancement of part 1, and a political allegory. He is like the politician whose mask slips quite easily, but one that the less political inclined may not notice, even humans like Alex. The humanization aspect may not be mastered by the two bodybuilder assassins that have strange personalities. Their pretense is through their bodies. As they are bodybuilders, and are women, it goes for the flesh-heavy, and minority aspect of the man vs machine war. The grifters that are starting to be incorporated into this culture war. They are the commodification of minorities. Alex, although having a similar build and is of the same gender, shows the more natural version of her roots. She is one that embraces her humanity. The culture war is a scapegoat that seems infinite. Every era some form of minority is being used as the scapegoat. This entry, with its time-loop-like entry, can imply the infinite nature of the culture war, despite Alex being meant for her original time.

It is shown that she has a half-sister that wants her to procreate to save humanity, and part of involves her meeting a soldier with brain damaged named Johnny, with a problematic side plot as she expresses interest in him to procreate. Johnny shows another aspect of minority identity of disabled humans, and despite its problematic nature it is summarized with the film’s view of survival amongst the minority humans. The Nebula from this last film appears with it being reduced to pieces; however, it takes another form of a woman bodybuilder and introduces herself as Alex’s other half-sister. Considering the rest of the film it could be seen as a lapse of logic, but it can be interpreted as it being consistent with the identity allegory. Now that it’s required, the nebula too must put on the veneer. To be the sort of token that tries to fit in amongst one group yet has an alliance with another. It is the penultimate case of identity manipulation in the series thus far.

One aspect that I do think fits the themes of the first part is of the lead herself: Alex. She is objectified in these two entries, with scenes of her changing with her back towards the camera, with these scenes taking up to a few minutes. The camera also makes sure to focus on her muscles, with it being made even more apparent by having other characters talk about her large muscles. On the surface, it may be seen as a kink, but I believe this fits the concept of the first film. As there is that talk of man vs machine, the flesh itself can be seen as representative of man. If something is all machine, would there even be the look of a bodybuilder? Are muscles even required if there is no flesh? As her body is full of muscles, and it becomes the focus of the film, it emphasizes the importance of humanity by showcasing the flesh itself.

I Didn’t Know You Were Just a Human Whore.

The first Nemesis film explores the philosophical depth of internal identity, while the sequels are more overt, showcasing the externalized failure of failure of machine. A corporate state that felt the need to reduce itself after taking power, but with the introduction of the flesh of Alex, the return of humanity’s strengths, they must return to that façade, despite the broken code of Farnsworth 2 and the shock, commodified aesthetics of the two assassins. This becomes even more apparent in what is by far the best sequel, Nemesis 4: Death Angel. Justin DeCloux described it as “the last ‘fuck you’ film Pyun made,^”2 and considering the content, that aspect alone is one that makes me respect this film. Basically, this film is reduced to softcore, with a refreshing return to philosophical discourse.

It opens with her being an assassin in a return to her own time. She is reduced to being just a killer, and one that is not making much progress towards the war of man vs machine. Her boss knows this, leading to a long-winded yet fascinating conversation about what killing for a living does to a human, and if that leads to permanent changes. She is insistent on working, and although her boss tries to steer her towards making this her last, he still agrees to give her the details. The job goes poorly as she accidentally kills the wrong person, and is now being chased by every hitman, as the person that was accidentally killed has a very powerful family who placed a bounty on her head.

That is not the most interesting part, since this is still a zero-budget film, thus leaving the action to be at its most minimal. On top of the long-winded conversation, there is also a lot of sex and nudity, once again emphasizing her flesh that represents humanity. The sex scenes are at their most interesting. Although you can count it as a softcore film, it’s much closer to something Cronenberg would make. In consensual sex, stomachs turn to cavities, opening for a penetrating cyborg part that looks more like an eyeball with a bunch of wires rather than something phallic. Or an amusing scene of her crushing a cyborg using her strong thighs, which leads to the cyborg transforming itself while trying to kill her, leading to a very disturbing yet effective body horror sequence. These segments being in cars makes it even more amusing, reminding me of Cronenberg’s most disturbing film Crash. It helps provide the man vs machine discourse at its most visceral, a nice change of pace of the philosophical angle of the other entries.

The cyborgs have yet another inconsistent look in the series through the use of aesthetic. The makeup is very amateurish with simple brush strokes or small mechanic prosthetics on their foreheads. However, this shows its political allegory due to the war itself. That same veneer is required from them, and in fact some even embrace a slight lack of pretense. A chaotic sense of identity from a world of chaos. From its dialogue, its at its most effective in the opening scene with her the person in charge of the assassinations. He describes her as no longer being her old self, simply reduced to a killer. Despite being the pure representation of humanity, her identity is changing internally. It is a setting of chaos due to the war, and it is taking a hold onto her. It all comes full circle from Jared’s quote during the first Nemesis title. “It takes more than flesh and blood to be human, Alex.”

Can’t Be Too Careful These Days. Undercover Police Are Everywhere.

This is the last of Pyun’s directorial output of the series; however, there is one more sequel that was made in 2017: Nemesis 5: The New Model by Dustin Ferguson. This film is technically unwatchable, yet interesting due to its political views. There is a prelude, and two opening credits, meaning the film doesn’t start until 15 minutes in. The budget and level of acting have the aesthetic of a more modern, lower-end pornographic film, with some actors having the plastic surgery-heavy look that is commonplace in these sorts of films. The music, although effective, is simply stock music, and scenes with establishing shots take minutes to simply play an entire song. The stylized colour grading is too rough on the eyes, as they tried to emphasize the colours of each scene rather than keeping a consistent theme. Think Instagram-style filters, rather than actual colour grading. The most amateurish aspect is the microphone used for the voiceover. The “noise” is not filtered, making it sound even worse than something a small YouTuber would make. The few interesting scenes are reduced to fan service as well. The two crop top twin cyborgs, or a lesbian scene that is the same as the opening scene in the first entry.

However, the themes and the background of this film are interesting, yet problematic. It goes against the very values that the first four films were founded upon. In this film, The Red Army Hammerheads end up winning the war; however, they become “the real fascists.” They make propaganda that calls the police state fascist and use that to convince the people that the police are evil within a generation. As this was made in 2017 and it makes the anti-cop direction look evil, it does remind me of the Trump-like policies that were slowly on the rise during this time, and I’d go as far as to say this film supports those views. It makes this a fascinating film politics-wise, as this goes for the opposite of the other films. Here, the cyborgs are the good guys.

See, Laundering Data Can Be Dangerous. You Break the Law, You Go to Hell.

The four directorial entries of Pyun’s Nemesis present one of the more fascinating cases of duality. The original is a true cyberpunk masterpiece due to its high-concept action that navigates the philosophical and socio-political allegories at its most effective. The sequels are more overt, externalizing the man vs machine war, and through production woes, are reduced to cinematic minimalism, or the anti-film. This is an original and compelling series, and the original Nemesis is a work that cinephiles should no longer dismiss.

Sources Used:

1. https://theinferior4.livejournal.com/347747.html
2. https://letterboxd.com/justindecloux/film/nemesis-4-death-angel/
3. https://willsloanesq.wordpress.com/2023/04/06/albert-pyun/
4. http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/notes_toward_a_postcyberpunk_manifesto.html
5. https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1354759710126338056
6. https://www.money-into-light.com/2017/07/an-interview-with-albert-pyun-part-1-of.html