There’s no doubt that both “found footage” films and sci-fi teasers are severely played out in the short form. It’s a crowded field out there! But, leave it to director Neil Harvey—an Aussie talent who turned our heads a few years back with his archival footage/faux documentary about artificial intelligence, Robbie—to bring some much needed life to both of these respective niche genres.

With Detroit 2029, Harvey gives us something that is difficult to describe—it’s a stylistically arresting cocktail of archival clips, “found” footage, and narration that manages to explore some heady sci-fi concepts and world-building. It would be a hefty load for a feature film to carry, but a short? Well, let’s just say Harvey manages to wield all his tools deftly—giving us just enough “meat” to make this film stand on its own, but also leaving things open to a point where a feature version seems warranted. In other words, a perfect teaser.

For just a 7 minute film, it seems much longer (I actually mean that in good way). There’s a lot of rich ideas present here—from the nature of time to the preservation of one’s consciousness. These aren’t “new” ideas persay, but they are presented in a new fashion, giving life to what has long been drained by science fiction convention. The framework of the film—a distorted, hacked “thought log” of a military mission gone awry—is surprisingly engaging. It gives the film a sense of reality and immediacy; as a viewer you readily buy into the artifice. And, as the narrative evolves, you also form an emotional connection with the protagonist, elite soldier Tony Demayo. Like Robbie before it, Harvey’s real skill as a filmmaker is his ability to make us care about the flurry of edits and clips on screen. There’s a heart present in this film that pushes Detroit 2029 beyond just the science fiction concepts.

With this entry, it’s clear that Robbie wasn’t a fluke—Harvey is definitely a unique voice to reckon with in the sci-fi arena. Feature ambitions are obviously on deck. Let’s see if Mr. Harvey can indeed soar. Currently, repped by IAM Entertainment, we’re excited to see what he produces next.