Alex Garland’s ‘Dredd’ is Streaming On Max

The 2012 comic book adaptation Dredd has become a streaming hit on Max. As more people revisited the film or experienced it for the first time, it moved up from the #8 spot on the top 10 movies list to #3. Karl Urban stars as the titular character in the film, which takes place in the violent and crime-ridden Mega City One. Cops called Judges, who serve as judges, juries, and executioners, patrol the streets and deliver brutal justice.

Urban’s Dredd and his rookie psychic partner Cassandra (Olivia Thirlby) enter the dangerous territory of powerful drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), with a power struggle ensuing and the two Judges trapped in an apartment complex filled with hardened criminals. In the vein of the Indonesian action film The Raid: Redemption, Dredd traps its characters and creates tension in the confined environment with thrilling action sequences.

Before Garland would impress audiences with his official directorial debut with the A24-produced 2015 film Ex Machina, the writer would be better known for his screenplay credits, writing such films as Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later. Interestingly enough, Garland’s work on Dredd extends beyond his credit for the film’s screenplay. In fact, Garland completed uncredited directorial work on the film, triggering plenty of discussion online about how much of the film is his work, as opposed to Pete Travis, the director officially credited for the film.

Is ‘Dredd’ Alex Garland’s Secret Directorial Debut?

The production stories of Dredd are just as fascinating as the film itself, with various rumors and reports of in-fighting between Travis and the executives at Lionsgate. Apparently, the disagreements about the director’s creative choices for the movie were so heated that Travis was removed from the film altogether during the post-production process. While Garland would never directly comment on whether he directed the film, Karl Urban would state his belief that Dredd should be considered Alex Garland’s directorial debut, as the actor would tell JoBlo:

“A huge part of the success of ‘Dredd’ is in fact, due to Alex Garland and what a lot of people don’t realize is that Alex Garland actually directed that movie… I just hope when people think of Alex Garland’s filmography that ‘Dredd’ is the first film that he made before ‘Ex Machina.’”

Besides the troubled production and rumors of Alex Garland’s hand in directing the film, Dredd is also a fascinating film to revisit due to its impressive visual effects, mainly thanks to the “slo-mo” drug that plays a critical role in the film. Unlike many films converted to 3D in post-production, Dredd was shot with 3D cameras throughout its production. Moreover, high-speed photography was used to capture its action and violence in a slow-motion style that exudes the feel of reading a comic book while efficiently showcasing the drugs’ powers at the center of the movie.

Overall, Dredd is a fascinating chapter in the career of Alex Garland, who would shift his focus from adaptations to creating more original films, from Annihilation to Men and, most recently, last year’s Civil War. While a sequel to Dredd never came to fruition, and Garland himself said he isn’t interested, the movie is a thrilling and visceral piece of Sci-Fi action cinema that deserves the attention it is receiving on Max.

Dredd

Release Date

September 21, 2012

Runtime

95 minutes

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