Imagine waking up in the far future, and having to deal with a whole new world—the futureshock would be pretty intense. That’s something this new short film, appropriately called New, conveys quite well.
In New, written and directed by John Harden, a man dies of cancer—and then wakes up, decades in the future, because his body was cryogenically preserved. Now he’s not only cured of cancer, but also rejuvenated. And his wife is also alive again, restored to health and youth by miraculous future technology. It’s a post-scarcity future, in which the biggest problem is learning how to start over when everything is new and different.
But it’s not really a spoiler to say that even the most solid marriage is going to have some challenges after both people have died and come back in the brave new future. The result, although slightly rushed in parts, is pretty fascinating. [John Harden Films]
Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, coming in January from Tor Books. Follow her on Twitter, and email her .
